All I Ever Wanted
by angelaumbrello
Summary: Pre Naruto, post Tenchi Muyo. Ryoko lost everything, homeless and alone she and Ryo-ohki wander the the universe honing their fighting abilities and wishing for a place where they can belong. Naruto, who never had anything to begin with, wishes on a star for a family to love and cherish him. Can lonely souls from the opposite sides of the universe meet and become a family?
1. Wishing on a Star

**Title: All I ever wanted. Part:1**.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or Ryoko, or anything from their respective series which are trademarked and being used for entertainment purposes only. And that goes for the song lyrics as well.

**Author Notes: **I do not have a beta. Which is not to say that I didn't go over this several times, it just means that I am human and I'm sure I missed a tense or punctuation here or there.

Normally, I wouldn't post a story until it was completely done, but self-doubt kept getting in the way. So out of curiosity I am posting this to see if anyone is interested. I am definitely going to finish it though, just consider this an appetizer.

******'Cause all I ever wanted was a place to call my home **

**To shelter me when I am there and to miss me when I'm gone **

**All I've ever wanted was a place to call my own **

**Where stars will dance and sun still shines**

**And the storms feel free to roam.**

**Shinedown**

Naruto stared at a shooting star streaking across the night sky through tear filled eyes. During the day it was easy to be brave, to be brazen, to be brass and coarse. It was easy to ignore the cold stares of the adults, the whispered curses they thought he couldn't hear, the warnings uttered into their children's ears that were meant to keep them away from the strange child. Yes, it was easy during the day

when the sun was shining and the birds were singing and even the air was crackling with energy.

But at night it was different.

The streets were too quiet, the air too still, even the birds had gone home to slumber. At night there was nothing to take his mind off the fact that he had no mother or father. There was no one waiting to ask about his day at school, to fret that he wasn't eating enough vegetables, or to make sure he washed behind his ears. There was no one there to tuck him in at night, wish him sweet dreams, tell him that he was loved and cherished.

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight . . . ."

The blond boy stopped midway, not because he had forgot the words, but because he knew in his heart of hearts that it was exercise in futility. It was silly too wish on stars. It was silly to think that someone would fall from the sky and show him the kind of unconditional love the he desperately craved with every bit of his heart and soul.

It was foolish; he was foolish.

And so, once again, Naruto climbed into bed with a heavy heart. At the time not realizing that what he thought was a shooting star was in fact a ship, and that the fates were not quite as cruel as to ignore a poor boy's plea.


	2. Here comes Ryoko!

**A/N:**

Do I need to mention that this is an A/U? I didn't think so. :D

In case anyone is wondering, there will be no pairings. Which is not to say that certain crushes won't be acknowledged. It just means no romance.

I have 2 jobs, updates will be slow. And when I say slow, I mean like a turtle walking on wet glue uphill slow. I do need sleep after all.

Once again, no beta, so I apologize in advance for grammar, tense and any other errors I may make.

Random question, but does Ryoko bleed in the OVA? I don't think so, but maybe I just don't remember.

**Title: All I ever wanted. **

**Part:2 **

Ryoko and Ryo-ohki rose at the crack of noon, from a deep dreamless sleep, and stretched their limbs with loud exaggerated groans. Shaking her head of sleep induced cobwebs, Ryoko took in her soundings from her perch high in the trees, whilst the small cabbit nestled in the crook of her sister's neck, groomed herself. These were the types of planets that the ex-space pirate both loved and hated in almost equal measure. She loved the feel of the sun's rays on her face, she loved the scent of flowers that rode gently on balmy breezes that were just strong enough to slightly muss her hair. She loved the green grass, and the blue sky, and the tall trees with branches that reached to the sky as if in silent prayer to a god known only to them.

But she also hated these planets for they brought back memories of her first and only real home. They reminded her so much of Okayama in fact, she half expected Tenchi to come plodding through, laden with freshly picked carrots and trying, but failing to keep Ryo-ohki from stealing them. She laughed silently, sadly to her herself as she remembered him looking up at her, his big brown eyes instinctively knowing right were she was, silently pleading for her to help. Sometimes she would let him squirm on a whim. But usually she would feel magnanimous and would teleport from her spot in the tree, grab her way-ward sister by the nape of the neck, and hold the squirming cabbit as Tenchi made his way the remainder of the way home unmolested.

These phantom memories, that were so real she could almost reach out and touch him was one of the reasons that she could never settle on any one planet for very long. They were what fueled her restlessness and kept her from finding peace. She closed her eyes tightly and willed the memories away, but others quickly took their place. And they all involved Tenchi. Tenchi sparring. Tenchi getting his ass kicked by his grandfather. Tenchi in the carrot field. Tenchi sitting on the couch watching TV. Tenchi eating his meals. Always, always, always Tenchi. He sneaks up from her subconscious and strangles her mind until all she can think of is him. His warm brown eyes, his gentle smile, his quiet strength.

After all these decades it still hurts, the thought she may never see him, or touch him, or hear him ever again. She had given so much to that boy, so much of her time, and heart, and soul, there were times she honestly wondered if she wanted to go on. Her chest constricts painfully as these thoughts continued to swirl like a tornado in her head, causing her to lean forward and grab her yukata in a futile attempt to alleviate her heart ache. A strangled whimper escapes her lips

Ryo-ohki stopped her grooming to regain her balance, and gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Normally she would be angry at almost getting thrown off, but the waves of anguish and despair coming from her sister made it impossible for her to get upset. She was hoping this would be a day where Ryoko didn't allow her mind to wonder to the past, of course the little cabbit hoped for that every time they landed on a planet. Mostly her hopes were in vain, it didn't take much to trigger a memory, and the longer they were in exile, the more frequent those triggers were, and the more visceral the reaction became.

In the end all the cabbit could do was purr loudly and nuzzle her sister's cheek even as her fur became slightly damp from tears that seemed to fall in rivulets. This was part and parcel on why she refused to take clemency. Her sister needed her, needed her balance, needed her to keep from falling off the edge and into the abyss.

Mercurial as ever, Ryoko quickly flipped from anguish to anger and growled softly while wiping the remainder of her tears away with the heel of her hand. Ryoko was angry at herself for allowing such thoughts to enter her mind. She needed to accept the facts. The past was gone, it was just her all alone. All alone with her bittersweet memories and dreams that in the end were nothing but ashes. There was no such thing as a happy ending for her.

Ryo-ohki jumped from her perch and on to the nearby branch, keeping a safe distance. She knew what was coming next, and while Ryoko would never purposely harm her, it was best to stay a safe distance and hold on tight to a stable object.

Without preamble, Ryoko slammed her fist into the nearby tree-trunk leaving a fist-sized impression three inches deep in the trunk and causing a commotion as birds flew wildly in panic at the sudden intrusion of their peace. The two alien females watched until the birds disappeared from their sight, taking their indignant squawking with them before Ryoko wrenched her hand free. She looked at the damage that single blow did in disgust. Her inhuman strength and arrays of powers just reminded her of how far apart she was form other people, at how far apart she was from _him_.

She shook her head and sighed, trying to release the anger and despair in her heart that were her constant companions since she left. Her powers, per se, weren't the reason why she was in exile, light-years away from Tenchi and the others, light-years away from the earth and the Jurian Empire. She had been on plenty of planets with inhabitants that could give Tsunami a run for her money, even Tenchi himself possessed extraordinary powers. No, all her problems could be traced to one man, and one man alone.

_Kagato_.

Even dead that bastard still managed to make her life a living hell. Because of what he made her do, she may never find peace. Because of his hunger for power she may never again have a home or a family, a place where she belonged, a place where she would be cherished and loved and people she could in turn cherish and love. She may be forced to wander the universe forever, going from one planet to the next always trying to keep one step ahead of her enemies, and her memories.

She sighed for the third time in so many minutes. She then grabbed the large backpack that had served as her pillow with one hand, Ryo-ohki with the other, and jumped to the ground below, where she landed with cat-like grace. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, several times. With each breath she banished thoughts of Tenchi further and further to the recesses of her mind and instead savored the clean, fresh oxygen as it filled and left her lungs, enjoyed once more the feel of the sun on her skin,.

If she concentrated on her external senses, allowed the green world around her to invade and conquer her consciousness, she could ignore her internal anguish. Push it down, down, down, to where it couldn't paralyze her with despair and grief. Several silent minutes passed like this until she was able to put her mask of calm indifference on. Only then did she start the walk towards the Hidden Leaf Village.

Ryo-ohki squirmed until she was released from Ryoko's grasp. She scampered ahead of her big sister, plowing through grass at full tilt, scaring the local fauna, poking her head from the tall grass, and looking decidedly adorable. A smile played at the corners of the ex-space pirates mouth, but that was as far as it got. For all her little sister's antics she still found it difficult to be happy.

An uneventful 45 minutes passed before they reached the entrance to the village. A quick telepathic message sent her little sister to find another way in. No need to draw attention to the unusual looking creature quite yet. In the meanwhile, Ryoko paused a short distance from the gate while her enhanced sight observed what was happening. Two adult males in their early to mid twenties were standing behind a wooden table wearing dark green flak jackets over black shirts, and black pants. On their foreheads were headbands with symbols that made Ryoko assume meant they belonged to some group, possibly military. They were checking peoples ID's as they passed through the gate and having them fill out a small card, though from her vantage point she was unable to see what they were writing, or what was being asked. The two gave an easy going vibe as they casually chatted with people going about their business. But the ex-space pirate knew different, she could practically smell their chakra from her spot.

Realizing she looked suspicious standing in the middle of the road she reached into her obi and pulled out her ID, and passed through the gate. It was a gift from Washu, and it automatically changed to what ever legal form of ID was required for that planet. (Ryoko had fallen asleep mid-way through the explanation on how it actually worked.) Her name, picture, height, and weight pretty much never changed, but on this planet, she was form The Land of the Rising Sun and she was 23-years old.

She spoke briefly to the guards explaining where her village was, and why they had never heard of it with practiced ease. She then filled out the small card with her best handwriting, which included, her name, the reason she was there (training), and the duration of her stay (no idea) and then entered the village. Everywhere she went she was was greeted with the sight of people, young and old, tall and short, male and female living their lives just they would on any other given planet. She did notice the scent of chakra wasn't present on everyone, and that the ones who did wore the same headbands the guards did, though not all of them on their forehead.

The remainder of the afternoon passed in a leisurely manner as Ryoko wondered the town square partaking in the many delicacies the various food stands had to offer, and making sure she got a large enough bag of carrots for her little sister (though she seriously wondered if there was such a thing). She paused at a flower shop to look at the beautiful arrangements, and waved at a little blonde girl who was helping her mother. She paused several times to window-shop, admiring the village's latest fashions all the while getting the lay of the land and looking for a place to rent a room.

Thanks to a second gift from Washu, the former space pirate need not worry about money (she also got a second nap with that explanation). A small white coin purse covered in red crabs dangled from her wrist by its drawstrings, held whatever currency in whatever amount she needed. It matched the small pendant that hung from around her neck by a silver chain, the shell of which was made of some strange reddish brown material that she didn't recognize with silver claws that were articulated to move. It was the third and final parting gift from her mother, who had informed her it was meant as a memento. Ryoko had her doubts.

After another 30 minutes of wandering had passed, Ryoko decided to rest, and give Ryo-ohki a chance to catch up with her. She had passed by a park with a small playground a while ago and remembered seeing some benches. Maybe after the two caught up with each other, and relaxed a bit, she'd go back to the shops and ask if anyone knew of a place to stay. Or, they could just sleep outdoors again. She had had an excellent sleep last night, the best she had in a long time, so it wouldn't be that bad at all. And she knew Ryo-ohki wouldn't mind either.

She never went back to the forest that day, or to any of the shops, or even the benches. It seemed as if fate had already picked a path for her.

The first time she had wandered past the small playground, she noticed a young boy sitting alone on a swing. More intent on exploring and stuffing her face she had only given him a passing glance and a sympathetic shake of her head. Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed the expression on his downcast face was a combination of anger and loneliness, the same combination that she often wore when no one was looking. And had she looked closer, she would have noticed several adults quicken their pace once they noticed the boy. She would have noticed a couple of elderly villagers make hand signs as if they were warding off some great evil.

She didn't see all of that. But what she saw instead was a lot worse.

What she saw were three teen boys ranging in age from 16 and 19. A brown-haired, brown-eyed boy who stood in the forefront seemed to be the leader. The blond boy, no older than ten was flat on his butt. To his credit though, he still stared up at the teens in stubborn defiance. A small trickle of blood was was coming out of his nose, and he had a shiner under one eye that looked to be days old. Ryoko stood behind a chain linked fence gripping the links tight enough to warp them. She spared a quick glimpse around and saw to her disgust that no one was bothering to intervene.

_So much for a low profile,_ she thought. _Sorry Ryo-ohki._

Teen one raised his fist high over his head and brought it down with every ounce of his strength; Naruto braced himself for an impact that never came. Instead of soft flesh, he hit what felt like a brick wall. His punch which would have done untold damage to the young boy's face had it connected, was now nestled within the ex-space pirate's much stronger hand. Ryoko had teleported, and now stood between Naruto and his tormentors.

"What the hell's going around here?" Ryoko asked between gritted teeth.

"Nothing at all. We were just playing, and he fell, right little guy?" A flash of surprise momentarily crossed his eyes, and even he wasn't sure whether he was more surprised at the strange girl's sudden appearance, or the fact that someone had actually come to the defense of the little demon-boy. So he tried to play it off as a joke in hopes that her momentary spark of compassion would fizzle, and she would leave.

Unfortunately the boy wasn't playing along.

"It wasn't an accident," Naruto said angrily. "It was a set up. They're just trying to find a reason to get in a fight with me."

"Oh?" Ryoko asked with a raised eyebrow. She spared another glance to the boy who had finally gotten up and was now dusting himself off. "So you need three fighters to take on one little boy? He must be the greatest warrior to ever live, or you must be the worst."

The leader growled, his feigned playfulness being quickly replaced with anger. He wasn't going to let some stranger make him look like a fool in front of his team. His gaze bore a hole right through Ryoko. Or at least that was the intent. For her part she smiled evilly making sure the three teens saw as much of her teeth as possible. Her sharp, elongated eye-teeth coupled with her amber cat-eyes gave a startling effect. Teen two gulped visibly. Ryoko had the feeling had she worn her fake tail he would have pissed himself.

"You have no idea what your sticking your nose into lady!" teen one yelled as he starred daggers into Naruto. There was something that was growing increasingly manic its tone. This was not simply a case of bullying, the ex-space pirate thought. Bullies were generally a cowardly lot, and the mere presence of Ryoko was enough to send them running as fast as they could away from her. And yet, all three teens were standing their ground, albeit nervously, barely even blinking when Ryoko popped out of nowhere.

"It wouldn't be the first time," the ex-space pirate said mildly.

He gave no indication that he heard her. His focus was solely on Naruto. In a blink of an eye he wrenched his hand free, crossed the distance between them, and was lifting the blond boy into the air by the scruff of his shirt. After the initial shock wore off the boy began to squirm and writhe. His arms and legs flailed in a vain attempt to hit the teen and win his freedom.

"Let me go, dammit! Let me go, and fight me fair and square you assholes! I'll take you all on!"

"Don't you know anything? Are you stupid? This isn't some sweet innocent kid. He's a monster! Ten years ago today, he killed my parents!"

Taken back, Ryoko narrowed her eyes in puzzlement, her gaze switching from teen one to the boy. There _was_ something strange about him, the scent of his chakra reminded Ryoko of her own. Was it possible that this boy was some kind of demon as well? The venom in the teen's voice would certainly suggest that. Could this boy, as young as he was, really have done what he was accused of?

Hadn't she done worse at his age?

"What are you talking about? I wasn't even a week old yet! How could I have killed anyone?!"

"_Shut_ _up_!" teen one grounded out. His eyes stared unblinking at the boy, there was no mercy in his gaze, just pure unadulterated hatred and rage. He was practically shaking with it. Ryoko could have sworn the wind, which was a balmy breeze was picking up as if in some kind of unconscious synchronization with the teen.

"Why don't you put the boy down, before you do something you'll regret," Ryoko said.

"No, I want revenge!" teen one said. Even as his last word were being spoken he dropped Naruto only to punt him as hard as he could across the playground.

"_Shit_!" Ryoko screamed and teleported to where he would land, caught him in mid-air and safely lowered him to the ground. "Hey kid, are you alright? Say something, anything."

His response was to turn his head away from her and vomit violently and loudly.

Teen one tried to continue his assault on the boy but was stopped by an energy sword pointed at his throat, courtesy of the ex-space pirate. Quickly extinguishing the sword she grabbed the teen by the front of his shirt and pulled his face close enough to her that they were sharing the same air.

"You have two options, stand down and go home. _Or_ find out what a _real_ demon is capable of."

"I'll go with the second option."

A sharp pain pierced the right side of Ryoko causing her to look down and see she had been stabbed with a kunai.

Quickly teleporting, she landed a few away from him and reignited her energy sword. "So, this is the way you want to play it?"

"Yeah it is. I'll make sure you regret ever butting your nose in my business. You two, don't just stand there. Come help me. Between the three of us there's no way she can win."

If the two teens had any sense in their heads, they would have remembered that the less hand signs used by a shinobi, the more powerful they were.

Ryoko had used none.

"Three against one? I've fought more, and stronger."

And that was the end of talking, and the beginning of fighting.


	3. The Guiding Hand of Fate

**A/N: I didn't realize that my scene breaks weren't going through. So I changed them to the number 8, so even the spaces disappeared you can still tell what's what. Apologies for any confusions this may have caused, I should have noticed was being a pain in ass.**

**PART 3: **

The battle was over in less than ten minutes, teen one was on his butt with his back against a tree, defeated. His comrades, who were equally defeated, lay in tangled unconscious heaps on the ground. The sound of fire crackled in the background, the air was a smokey gray, and smelled of burnt flesh and plastic. All around them playground equipment lay in smoldering heaps. He stared up at Ryoko with wide eyes, watching as the ex-space pirate strode towards him, her energy sword ignited and at the ready. Her eyes, no longer a warm amber were glowing red and yellow, and she was staring down at him as if he were nothing more than a cockroach.

Whiskers much like Naruto's were visible on her cheeks, her pronounced canines were even more pronounced, and the ghost of a second pair of arms were forming from mid-way on her torso. A soft, barely audible, bubbling sound like boiling water could be heard, and a black aura surrounding her made the teen wish he could push his body through the the tree behind him until they were one. She was becoming a genuine demon right before his eyes. And yet, he could hear no screams of alarm from the crowd that had formed outside the playground. Nobody was coming to his aid. Couldn't they see she was a monster like the boy?

She knelt beside him and leaned so that her mouth was near his ear. Her breath, unbearably, inhumanly hot burned his earlobe while conversely sending a chill up his spine. Her sword, positioned under his pale chin forced him to keep his head raised, and his indigo eyes focused on the calm blue sky that seemed to mock him with its tranquility. He fought the urge to show fear, to allow this _thing_ the satisfaction of knowing that she had completely emasculated him, but his body betrayed him. Tears came out in rivulets where they made a path down his cheeks and throat, collecting at the collar of his shirt. His nostrils flared and his breath came and went in short quick puffs, and a distinct odor of urine made its way to Ryoko's sensitive nose, causing her to crinkle it in disgust.

"You listen to me boy," she said in voice only he could hear. "The only reason you're not dead is, I made a promise to my sister to stay out of trouble. But, if you ever bully that boy again, all bets are off. I will find you. I will kill you. And I will scatter your atoms to the four winds."

Ryoko rose to her full height, and extinguished her sword. Her eyes were back to their normal color, and with that the genjutsu she used dispersed. She blinked several times clearing her mind, and took stock of the damage she had helped to create. A large sweat drop appeared on her forehead as she thought of the tongue-lashing she was going to get from Ryo-ohki. _At least it wasn't a school this time,_she thought ruefully.

Her attention then went to Naruto. He was standing in the only spot in the playground that had no signs of battle damage. His hands were pressed against the shield, which had done its job of protecting the boy. Anyone else in his position would have been terrified at being so close to that much violence, but he was smiling at her in genuine happiness, warmth and appreciation. She released the force-field and went to him. Already the fight was becoming a distant memory. "Are you okay, kid?"

Before he could answer, they were interrupted by the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat.

The blond boy spared a glance to his right and saw Master Iruka behind the chain link fence beckoning him, along side him were Master Mizuki, Kakashi and several other Jonin commanders from the academy. Behind them was a small, but growing, crowd of people.

"Uh, miss?" Iruka asked tentatively. His eyes were transfixed to the kunai in her side. Its blade was buried deep in the soft tissue of her abdomen (her oblique muscle to be more precise). "You have a kunai in your side. Doesn't that hurt?"

"What?" she asked looking down, she then chuckled. "Oh that thing? I had completely forgotten about it." She pulled out the kunai, and casually handed it to a shocked Naruto. There was no blood on the blade, and the cut, which should have been deep, and painful closed in a blink of an eye. All that was left was a tear in her yukata. Then she turned her attention back to Iruka and held her arms out in surrender. "I suppose I'm in trouble."

"It will be up to our leader, the Hokage to decide that, so you can put your arms down." Kakashi answered instead in his usual neutral tone. "I need you to follow me."

"_HEY! HEY!_ She didn't do anything wrong! It was those three! They're the ones who started it," Naruto said with a backward glance to the teens being helped by medical shinobi.

"They will be dealt with," Kakashi said. "Iruka, please take Naruto home."

"Right."

"But . . .but, Master Iruka, I was a witness. Why do I have to go home?" Naruto's eyes sought out Ryoko's and held them, willing her to understand she was the first person to come to his rescue, to acknowledge him. He didn't want her to go away.

The ex-space pirate was taken back by the depth of emotions in one so young, the desperation that clung to his every word, the loneliness in his eyes. She felt something stir within her, a maternal extinct that she thought had died long ago.

"Naruto," she said kneeling in front of him. "You be a good boy, and do what your teacher tells you, okay?"

"But, will I see you, again?"

The ex-space pirate straightened up, and gave Naruto a sad smile. "I don't know kid, it's up to fate now. You just be good, and stay out of trouble."

Ryoko turned her back, grabbed her backpack, and bag of carrots, and followed Kakashi who in turn was followed by a small procession of shinobi and curious onlookers. Naruto stared after her until she was completely gone from his sight. A glint of determination shone in his eyes. Even at a his young age he didn't give much credence to the fickleness of fate. He was going to see her again, and that was that.

Hours later, after filling out endless forms in triplicate, and answering endless questions in triplicate, (Though it probably would have gone a lot quicker had the old man been able to keep his eyes off her breast for more than two minutes.) she was finally released. Stealing herself for the expected earful from Ryo-ohki when she stepped out of the Hokage's tower, instead she was greeted by the sight of her little cabbit companion nestled on Naruto's lap, sleeping soundly. The boy, who had also managed to doze off, didn't stir a muscle as she approached and crouched in front of him.

He was indeed a demon just as she assumed before, he even had cute little whiskers on his cheeks, and yet there was something about him that wasn't like any demon she had ever come across. There was still a light within him. That black hole that every demon has in their soul was there, but it wasn't growing as would be expected. Ryoko shook her head in wonder. _What a strange boy,_ she thought.

"Hey. Hey, you two, rise and shine," Ryoko said while tapping gently at Naruto's knee. Ryo-ohki was the first to awaken, she jumped from the boy's lap, saw the bag overflowing with carrots and dived in like a man who had been in the desert for three months would dive into a pool of water.

Naruto on the other hand was a little slower to awaken. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat straighter with an expected look on his face.

"What are you doing here kid?"

Naruto smiled. "I thought I'd give fate a little help."

Instead of being happy to see him as he had hoped, Ryoko sighed, stood up and brushed invisible dust off her obi. "Look kid, I appreciate the gesture. But, you need to forget you ever met me."

"Why?"

"I'm . . . there's something wrong with me, Naruto. I'm not a good person, as a matter of fact I'm quite the opposite of a good person. I'm a grade-A certified demon, and I have a lot of blood on my hands." To enforce her claim she showed the boy some of what she had shown the teen in the park.(She didn't want to give the kid nightmares, just scare him off.) Her eyes once again flashed red and yellow, her lips were peeled back to show canines that were unnaturally long.

And for a moment it did work, the blonde boy stared at her in wide-eyed fear. He scrambled to his feet making Ryoko think he was going to make a run for it, but instead of running his expression changed. A look of determination came over his face.

"If your such a horrible person, then why did you help me? You could have turned around and walked away just like everybody else in this damn village! No one would have blamed you. As a mater of fact they would probably patted you on the back and given you, and those teens, the keys to the village."

Ryoko returned to her normal self, and stared dumbfounded at the boy who had tears in his eyes, and snot hanging from his nose. As much as she wanted to out and out lie and tell him it meant nothing to her, that he meant nothing to her, she couldn't. Because it did mean something, and he did mean something, something that both terrified, and gave her hope. Something that she was unable to articulate into words, so she just stood and stared mutely as the boy continued to pour his heart out to a woman whose name he didn't even know. Every once of loneliness was placed before her like a meal at a buffet table, and every word he spoke was like a porcupine quill being shot right into the ex-space pirate's heart.

"They all hate me, the whole village, and I don't know why. But I thought . . . I thought maybe you would be different. I . . .thought . . ."

Naruto's legs gave out, but he didn't hit the ground. Ryoko with her incredible speed was there to catch him, she lifted him and cradled him to her chest, and this was all done completely instinctually. There was no hesitation in her actions, just as earlier there was no hesitation when she fought those teens. Only a strange, overwhelming, inexplicable desire to protect this boy.

As if on cue, Ryo-ohki, who had long ago stopped eating, jumped out of the bag of carrots and onto her sister's head where she proceed to groom herself. Ryoko shifted Naruto so that he was only occupying one arm, his small body being supported by her right hip and arm. His head fitted perfectly in the crook her neck, his spiked blond hair tickled her chin. His arms instinctively wrapped around Ryoko's neck, and sigh of contentment was heard from him.

For the first time in along time, the ex-space pirate felt at peace. Already she could feel a growing affection for the boy in her arms. It was a surprising, but not a wholly unwelcomed emotion. It meant that there was still a small flicker of light within her. And maybe, just maybe if she could save this boy, then she could save herself. She could keep herself from drowning in that growing abyss that was smack dab in the middle of her soul.

With that last thought, she grabbed the bag of carrots with her free hand, and with an audible grumble about how she was being treated like a pack mule, the three of them made their way down main street.

It looked like they were going to be spending another night in the woods.

From high above, the Hokage watched the three disappear from his immediate sight. Taking a draw from his pipe, he smiled benevolently. Next to him Kakashi stood with nose in his book, seemingly oblivious to the scene below.

"Do you think it wise to allow her to be near Naruto?"

"They seem like a perfect fit to me."

"No disrespect sire, but she seems a bit unstable to me."

"_A bit? _That's putting it mildly."

"Not to mention she took out three chunin in record time, and destroyed the playground."

"Which she compensated for," the Hokage replied. On his desk were several heavy gold coins that would be more than enough to pay for new equipment. "I saw how she defeated them with my crystal ball. She could have easily killed them."

"Then, once again I ask why? Why allow her access to Naruto?"

"I think there is more to Miss Hakubi than meets the eye. Though if it puts your mind at ease, you can keep an eye on her."

Kakashi's shoulders drooped in disappointment for a quick second, and a barely audible sigh escaped his lips at the thinly veiled order. "Understood sir."

After the one-eyed shinobi took his leave, the Hokage's attention returned to looking outside the window where he stared at the full moon above. "We are heading towards some interesting times," he mused.


	4. Midnight Interlude

**A/N: There were a couple of people who were interested in a future romance between Naruto and Ryoko. I'm going to be be very blunt and say, no. **

**If you go to my profile page, you will see a poll and deadline for each part, in case you are curious.**

** 8**

**Part 4. **

_So, it wasn't a dream,_ he thought.

Even through he had just awoken it didn't take long for him to realize he wasn't in his apartment, but in the forest. Naruto slowly rose to a sitting position and rubbed the remainder of sleep from his eyes. The moon, which was full and bright, peered down at him from a canopy of trees and provided enough light for him to see by. The sleeping bag he had been put in was thick and soft, making it difficult for him to want to leave its warmth and comfort.

But in the end, his curiosity, not to mention a full bladder, got the best of him. Wiggling out of the sleeping bag, the coolness of the night hit him, causing him to involuntarily shiver. He looked down at his apparel and realized he was dressed only in his t-shirt and boxer shirts. His orange and black jumper, which was neatly folded, had been placed at the foot of his bag along side his shoes and goggles.

Quickly going into the forest a little ways, he did his business and returned to the camp ground to find Ryoko sitting Indian style on an old log. Her blank facial expression, and her unblinking, unfocused amber eyes made her seem more like the faces on Hokage Mountain than a living, breathing human being. She showed no indication that she even knew he was there even, though he was standing 10 feet away from her.

Naruto gulped, and looked around at his surroundings. This was the first time he'd ever been in the woods at night. He had no idea where he was, or how far he was from his village. The light provided by the moon allowed him to see, but it also allowed shadows to form and be swayed by the wind. It didn't take long for his imagination to run away from him. Branches became monsters with bent claws that were out to get him. Wolves baying at the moon sent chills up his spine. Leaves blowing in the wind became the distant alien chatter of other worldly beings who would do unspeakable and horrid things to him.

Jumping up and down, he waved his arms wildly In the hopes of getting her attention, but to no avail. He looked to her furry companion, and found her dead to the world in a small sleeping bag. Half her face was covered by an eye mask, and in her paws was a stuffed carrot that she clutched tightly to her body.

She wasn't going to be any help to him, even if she were awake.

But just as his worry reached his zenith, Ryoko's eyes blinked, slowly at first, then in rapid succession as if she had something in them. For a split second, a look of absolute loathing and anger crossed her face, and then quickly dissipated. Finally she turned her full attention to Naruto, took in the look of fear in his eyes, and without missing a beat opened her arms to receive him in her embrace.

Without thought or hesitation Naruto ran to her and only after he felt her strong arms around him did his fear lift. He had known her less than 24 hours, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing in the forest could harm her, and that she would protect him.

"Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?"

"No, I didn't have a nightmare. But I thought you were dead. I woke up and saw you sitting there staring off into space. I tried to get your attention, but you didn't see me."

"Oh," Ryoko said after a moment. "I was just meditating. I didn't expect you to wake up for a few more hours."

He had heard of meditation before, and knew the benefits, but thought the practice of sitting still and doing nothing was more boring than one of Master Iruka's lectures. A viewpoint he was more than happy to share with the ex-space pirate, who's response, to his surprise, was to laugh.

"It's very boring," she agreed. "It took me years, and years, just so I could do it 20 minutes a day. But it's worth it."

Naruto wasn't completely sold on its benefits, though if it really did allow him to do the things she could do, then maybe, one day, sometime in the future, he would give it a try.

"Are you hungry?"

As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly answering for him. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, which was only instant ramen. With the boy in tow she went to her backpack and after a few seconds of rummaging, she pulled out two candy bars and a can of green tea, and handed them to Naruto.

"I'm afraid I don't have much else to offer you right now," she said. (Though if Ryoko had gone through a proper childhood, she would have known candy was a perfectly acceptable meal replacement.) "My name is Hakubi Ryoko, and that lazy lump over there is my companion Ryo-ohki."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" he said in between bites. The smile he gave her was toothy and messy, but Ryoko found it completely endearing. She couldn't help but return it.

She led him back to the log, but instead of sitting on it they sat on the grass and used it as a seat back. For several minutes the only sounds were of Naruto noisily eating and drinking. Leaning back, with her arms behind her back, she stared at the stars and wondered what she had gotten herself into.

There was a second reason Ryo-ohki snuck into the village, and that was to hack into the village's archaic computer system which could only be done up close and personal, since they had no internet or wi-fi. Ryoko had gone through the information earlier, and what she found was both disturbing and infuriating. Naruto wasn't born a demon, as she was, he was made into one by having the nine-tails stuffed into him like he was a sausage casing when he was barely a week old.

But it didn't matter whether a demon was born (test-tube or natural birth) or was created (sealing jutsu) the rules still applied. And the most important rule was also the simplest, every demon was born with a hole in their soul, and what you fill it with ultimately decides whether they are a devil or a knight. There were other factors of course, as well as exceptions, she had seen children raised with utmost care and love turn into the blackest, and most vilest of devils. And she's also seen the opposite. But why would you hedge your bets like that?

_You reap what you sow, _she thought in exasperation. And the fact that this village didn't seem to understand this simple concept was beyond all her reasoning.

The ignorance of the people in this village was mind-boggling and enough to make her want to go back and strangle that Hokage. How can anyone in their right mind think that what they're doing to this boy was acceptable, or that they won't pay for it in the future.

"Hey Ryoko? Will you train me?" As he asked this, he handed her the empty can and wrappers and then watched as she she easily reduced them to ashes. "Please?"

For some reason, Ryoko felt the need to stall for time. She wrapped her arms around Naruto and pulled him against her chest. At first, he stiffened but when she rested her head atop of his and gave a contented sigh, he relaxed. The ex-space pirate's chest was softer than any pillow, but her arms were strong and sinewy. Once again the feel of safety and warmth pervaded.

"I don't know Naruto," she finally said. "I've never been a teacher before. I don't think I'd very good at it, besides some of what I do is what you call a bloodline limit jutsu. I couldn't teach you those even if I wanted to."

"Oh," Naruto said crestfallen."But someone taught you, didn't they? Why can't you copy that?"

Her body instantly tensed, and a low growl was emitted. "No! Just no. There is no way in hell that I would ever use any of my old master's techniques on you. He was a monster that thought torture was a training tool. I . . I would never do something like that to anyone, ever. If I could I would bring him back to life just so I could kill him myself!" _And I could, _she thought._ I've been training hard for fifty plus years and I've gotten stronger, more controlled. I understand my powers a lot better than I did when I was younger._

Naruto twisted around so that he was kneeling in front of her. Her normally pale skin was sickly white, and she was shaking with suppressed rage. He gulped loudly, he thought he had messed up and was fearful that she was angry enough to leave him. "I'm- I'm sorry. I didn't know! Please don't go!"

The haze of anger quickly lifted and it didn't take long for her realize she had scared the poor boy, again. "Oh Naruto!," she said and pulled him back into her embrace. His head cushioned on her chest. "I wasn't angry at you. And I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon."

"Promise?" he asked, his arms wrapping tightly around the older woman's body as if he could somehow keep her from leaving if she really wanted to.

"I promise, you're going to be stuck with us for a good long time."

Minutes passed wordlessly, Ryoko rubbed the back of the blond boy and hummed an alien song to him. His breathing was getting slower, and she knew it was just a matter of time before he dropped off to sleep.

When he did, she gathered him in her arms and put him back in his sleeping bag. Before going back to her bag, she stared down and pondered what to do with him. He was staying with her, that was settled. The questions were, should she train him? Should she tell him about the nine-tails that was within him? And should they return to a village that so obviously hates him, and most likely by extension her?

She went to her sleeping bag and climbed in. The boy needed highly specialized training, there was no arguing that. It was a frightening proposition for her though, she was very reluctant to take on the mantle of teacher. She didn't want to hurt him, even by accident. Because starting with Kagato (who was the worst) and moving her up, most of her training came through harsh task masters who brooked a no nonsense attitude in their training. Could she really do that? Train him to levitate over an active volcano? Teach him to fly by firing live ammo at him?

The answer was no, but he had to be trained. She had to figure out a way to get over her own fears, and find a better way of instructing him that doesn't involve pain or torture. He had way to much chakra at his disposal, he needed to learn to control it or the results would be disastrous. She, who was nearly invulnerable to physical pain was the best choice.

The second question was harder. She needed more time to think on that.

The third one was the easiest. They were a few hours away from the village, if no one came looking for them in a week, then that would truly confirm what Naruto said about the villagers. And though she had a twinge of regret for leaving without learning any new fighting techniques, the three of them would leave. There were plenty of other Hidden Leaf villages to visit.

"Humpf, it's looks like I got myself a student," she said to no one in particular. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall asleep.


	5. Searching

**PART 5. Searching . . .**

**A/N: I'm so, so, so, so, sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out. **

* * *

_It's just a dream._

_It's just a dream._

_It's just a dream, he chanted._

_No, it wasn't. It was a nightmare. A nightmare born from memories over 850 years ago. And yet every sight, sound, and scent assaulted him with the crystal clear clarity of a recent memory._

_Jurai was burning, the heat and smoke from various fires were overwhelming, suffocating. Everywhere was screaming and dying, the death throes of a million people. And the author of this destruction, the devil herself, stood above all this, above him, laughing manically, bathing in all of this destruction as if it were a warm bath. She was nothing more than a wild beast covered in the blood of her victims. Her red energy sword glowed brightly like a beacon leading all who saw it to their death. She stared straight through him with pale empty eyes, as if he were nothing, as if she didn't have the slightest clue of the pain she had caused him. _

_She had murdered his wife._

_She had murdered his daughter._

_She had destroyed his home planet._

_And now he would get his revenge._

_Or at least that was the plan, what he had dreamed of, trained for, but there was a reason that she was called the devil of destruction. There was a reason why she was the second most wanted criminal in the whole universe._

_It only took her ship two minutes to defeat his tree-ship. And less than two minutes for her to defeat him in a sword fight, and even then he could tell she was just playing with him. From a large gash on his face he could feel blood, warm and sticky, flowing down where it collected on the collar of his shirt, staining it crimson._

"_Come down here and fight me fair, you bitch!" he snarled in defiance. His left arm hung uselessly at his side and with each breath a wave of pain went through him. He knew several of his ribs were either cracked or broken. But he didn't care, he wanted his revenge. He needed his revenge, and if his death was the price to be paid, then that was fine by him. So long as he took that monster to gates of hell with him._

_Ryoko cocked her head and looking down at him as if he were a curious bug and she was debating whether or not to squash it. But a spasm of pain went through her causing her to wince and groan. It was the first and only time she had given any indication that she could even feel pain. It was her master, Kagato, reminding her she had a mission to perform. _

"_You're lucky," she said in a hollow voice. "I have my orders, so I can't stay and play with you any longer." _

_Ryoko teleported, leaving him to roar his indignation to the uncaring world around him._

Lord Daishi Fugitaka woke with a start. His throat felt raw, and he could still hear his screams as they echoed faintly through his bed chamber. Unsightly tears ran down the side of his face and into his hair. It took him several moments for his mind to realize it was no longer in the past, that he was safe in his bed on his tree-ship, the Yoshino. He stared at the ceiling and waited for his heartbeat and breathing to slow to a steady rhythm. The scar that ran down the side of his face throbbed with a phantom pain.

"Lord Fugitaka?" a voice called out, making their presence known to him. She didn't ask about his nightmare, or bring up the fact that he had screamed out in his sleep, or comment on the sheen of sweat and tears on his face. To do any of those things was a sure fire way of leaving his presence covered in bruises. It was best to take a servile position and wait for him.

He looked to his left, and saw one of his attendees bowing low, her forehead touching the floor in complete subjugation, awaiting his orders. She was a thin, sinewy, young-looking woman with long dark hair and pale skin, whose family was also taken from her by the devil-woman. Lady Etsuko Mori, the last noble of a small family had been eager to join him, eager to to train her body into a lethal weapon whose only purpose was revenge.

He flipped the covers aside and got out of bed. His tanned, naked body was thick and muscular and covered in scars of various lengths and widths. Some were centuries old, some were decades old, and some were just weeks old, but all gave testament to his desire for revenge and the lengths he was willing to go to obtain it. "Have we arrived at Tsalagi?" (pronounced chaw-la-gee)

According to his sources, Ryoko had last been tracked to that planet. But his sources had also said she had been on several other planets, all of which panned out into failure. She always seemed to be one or two steps ahead of him, and it was pissing him off royally. Why did she keep running, he thought. Why didn't she just stay put and fight him once and for all? Was it fear? Or did she honestly think that he would give up on his quest for revenge? Or that once she left a planet, it and its people would be safe from his wrath?

"N-n-no," she stuttered, drawing her master's attention back to her, fear lacing her speech. Fear making her whole body shake, for as strong as she had become over the centuries, she was still no match for him, and his temper could be very mercurial. "But according to our sources in the palace, the Emperor is getting angry. He's demanding you to return to Jurian space to be placed on trial for treason and mass-genocide. As a matter of fact, there are several tree-ships and GPX patrol ships out looking for you."

"I see." There was blur of motion and the attendee found her body violently slammed into the wall. Her master's face was a mere inch from her own. He smelled vaguely of sweat and morning breath. His eyes were a dark brown, which on anyone else would have been soulful but instead reminded the Lady Mori of twin black holes. His hand was like a vice as it gripped her throat. "Do you really think I give a damn if Tsunami herself was after me?"

"I . . .Master . . .please . . ." she pleaded as she futilely tried to pry his fingers from her throat. Her lips were taking on a blue tinge as life was slowly being choked out of her.

He released her, and she fell to the ground in a heap. She held her throat protectively and sucked in as much air as she could as quickly as possible. Lord Fugitaka took several steps back and stood patiently, neither offering help, nor forcing her to continue until she was ready.

Several minutes passed until she was able to speak again. "I – we all want the demon dead as much as you do for what she did, but should we risk angering the Emperor?"

Lord Fugitaka stared down at the woman at his feet, a look of contempt was plastered on his face. His contempt was not directed at the younger woman though, but at the emperor, and his family. How easily they all had been duped by the devil-woman. How easily they had forgiven her her sins against the Jurian empire. She had destroyed 28 planets and 64 colonies, and yet they were going to hand her a throne, make her a princess, and allow her to marry the crown prince, who in turn was nothing more than a powerful mongrel.

Not while he still drew breath.

And there were others like himself and the Lady Mori who felt the same way. Not all of them had been alive during Ryoko's reign of terror, but they were all equally appalled at the royal family's leave of senses.

Ignoring her question, he held out his hand and helped Lady Mori to her feet before once again slamming and pinning her to the wall with his body. But this time it was not out of anger. She could feel his quickly growing erection just below her bellybutton and knew what was coming next, she parted her legs as best she could in silent acquiescence. There was no lust in his eyes, no sign of romantic affection. The hand raised almost mechanically to stroke her her cheek was calloused and rough.

Sex was merely how he further bonded the Lady Mori to himself. He couldn't afford to have her grow a conscious and decide to turn him in, and he knew she felt something for him. So long as he gave her a taste of himself, no matter how foul he thought the act, she was perfectly content to have her very soul defecated on.

And she being desperate enough for any scrap of attention from her master, allowed him to use her

"Do you trust me Etsuko?" he asked using her first name and not bothering with an honorific. And why would he? She was his property, his weapon, his toy to use in any manner he wanted. In this way he was no better than Kagato and his treatment of Ryoko, and the similarities didn't end there.

"Of course I do Master."

"Then trust me in this," he replied referring to her earlier question. "The Emperor is impotent. He will not find us, and even if by some miracle he does, we have the power of ten planets coursing through this ship! Nobody can defeat me!"

"Yes, Master," she replied with something akin to ecstasy, and as he stepped back, she released the belt holding her robe closed and allowed it to drop to the ground. She was naked and ready for their morning routine to commence.

She made her way to his bed knowing he would follow, and got into position. Without missing a beat or bothering with foreplay he entered her and picked up their earlier conversation.

"What is our estimated time of arrival?"

"Um . . two days sire," she responded in between thrusts from his hips. She dared to look up, his eyes were closed and the name of another woman was being chanted. Was it his wife's name, or his daughter's she wondered in a momentary display of mental brazenness that surprised her. Not that it mattered. Considering his past crimes, incest would actually be a very small thing. But sometimes, it was hard to tell which was which in his mind, it made bile rise in her throat at the thought that he was thinking of another. But she needed more power, she needed him, and if selling her soul and her body was how she would finally get both, then so be it.

Naruto wasn't necessarily the brightest star in the sky, but what he lacked in intellect, he more than made up for in tenacity. Hour after hour, day after day, night after night for five days the boy practiced and practiced, and practiced some more. He was determined to master walking on air, the technique that Ryoko had said was (theoretically) the key to all other techniques.

The only time he retested was when complete exhaustion or hunger had overtaken him, and then as soon as he was full, and rested, it was back to the nearby lake where he would continue his training with something akin to desperation.

Even in the middle of the night as Ryoko and Ryo-ohki lay in their tent, snug in their sleeping bags he would sneak (or at least he thought he was sneaking) to the lake. The night would then be punctuated with periodic splashes as he fell again and again into the lake, which would then be followed by an occasional curse. When he would return hours later shivering and soaked to the bone, he always found Ryoko waiting for him with a pot of hot tea, a large fluffy towel and words of loving encouragement.

These were special bonding moments between the two. Ryoko would wrap the towel around the both of them tightly and hold Naruto close to her heart telling him everything no one had ever said to him before. She would tell him he was a good boy, that he was special, that he was loved and that he wasn't alone anymore. That he had a family in herself and Ryo-ohki who loved him very much. And over and over again she would repeat her promise that she would never ever leave him, that she would be there when he became Hokage.

After wards, he would climb exhausted into his own sleeping bag and instantly fall into a deep blissful slumber, only to rise again and start the cycle all over again. All of his efforts had led to this moment. He was now able to do what none of his classmates could do. He was now able to walk on air.

High above the lake, Naruto and Ryo-ohki stood on air. Supported by nothing except the chakra focused on their feet (or paws) the two were locked in a competition that had been raging for well over three hours. Droplets of sweat was pouring down the boy's face, and his whole body trembled and ached from the effort to keep himself from plunging into the lake again. Despite all this, his eyes showed nothing but determination. Never in a million years would he admit defeat, no matter how exhausted or how much pain he felt.

The cabbit shook her head so that a small bell hanging around her neck jangled loudly, tantalizingly to Naruto's left side. He took the bait and lunged after her only to be met with nothing. Falling a few feet he was able to stop his descent through sheer willpower, but the strain was getting to him. His breathing was becoming labored and his heart hammered away in his chest. But he refused to give up. He was going to get that damn bell no matter what.

Getting to his feet, he climbed back up to Ryo-ohki's level and locked eyes with her. Neither combatant dared to blink, dared to move a single muscle, each gauging their opponent, trying to predict what the other would do. Only a breeze rustling through the trees dared to disturb their stalemate. More minutes passed in silence, slowly, cautiously he inched his way toward the cabbit. Speed had proven to be a dismal failure, resulting in exhaustion and more than a few dunks in the lake. But going against his nature and doing the exact opposite of what Ryo-ohki expected of him might actually work.

And this tactic might have worked on anyone else. But Ryo-ohki was not like anyone else. Despite looking, and acting like a cute and furry little forest creature, she was in fact a warship with thousands of years of combat experience and downloaded with battle tactics of countless wars fought throughout the universe.

Simply put, Naruto hadn't a snowball's chance in hell of catching her off guard.

Tuning her back to him, she wiggled her tail in a mocking fashion.

"Mya-mya-mya, mya-mya-mya," Ryo-ohki said in a sing-song voice.

Naruto may not have understood cabbit, but he understood a challenge when he heard it. And before you could blink twice, the blond had abandoned slow and cautious for fast and reckless as sore muscles and exhaustion were rejuvenated, and the chase was on again. He didn't question the fact that just moments ago he was on his last leg, and now he was filed with renewed energy and stamina. (He didn't know about the Kyuubi residing in him feeding him chakra.) All that mattered to him was getting that bell from around Ryo-ohki's neck and impressing Ryoko.

If Naruto had looked to the lake shore even for a second he would have seen that bell or no bell, the ex-space pirate was indeed impressed at his progress. Watching the boy push himself to the limits of his his strength and endurance and then beyond reminded her a little bit of herself. It was why she didn't dare stop him, even though she knew there was danger in allowing him to push himself so hard. But she understood his motivation fully. She understood the burning need to prove oneself, to become stronger and better than everyone else.

But even with this understanding, she still felt trepidation over taking him as a student. She was nervous that she would screw up, or worse hurt the boy either mentally or physically.

And there was another problem – a bigger problem. Ryoko had never given much thought to the mechanics of her power. All she had known for the vast majority of her life was, whatever she needed, whether weapon or defense, all she had to do was think of it. Up until recently words like chakra and chi and ki were all just that, words. It had only been in recent years that she had learned what they were and how they could be applied to her own powers. And now she had to apply that translation into something that could be taught to Naruto.

The first few lessons should be fairly straightforward and comparatively simple to teach, but she knew damn well he was going to want to learn her more complex powers; he'll definitely want his own energy sword.

_I just hope he never sees Ryo-ohki transform in a ship,_ she thought. _He'd probably want to learn that as well. Not that he could._

Shaking her head, Ryoko watched as a small brown blur and a larger blond and orange blur darted to and fro above her. The ex-space pirate noted that right before her very eyes Naruto was getting stronger and faster. She couldn't help but feel pride at how quickly he had come along in such a short time, and wondered faintly once he was older and had control of the nine-tails if he would one day be able to challenge her. The thought didn't scare in the least, it filled her excitement and anticipation for the future. Something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Momentarily pulling her attention from the two above she instead focused her senses, particularly her hearing, on the forest behind her in the vain hope that someone was looking for Naruto. She had been doing this several times a day only to be met with increasing frustration. Did they not notice he was gone, or did they not care? It wasn't like she was doing a particularly good job at hiding them, or that she hadn't point blank told several people, including Kakashi, where they were.

Though in all honesty she wouldn't have cared less if no one ever came to find him. Meeting Naruto was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time and she would happily spend the rest of his life beside him in what ever capacity suited him.

If the Leaf Village was too stupid and paranoid to see beyond his pranks and knuckleheadedness to the boy in need of acceptance then they didn't deserve him.

But it seemed today was different, there was someone coming towards them. Their speed was picking up and it wasn't long before a lone male landed softly several feet in front of her.

Smirking, she fully turned to her attention to the new arrival who thought to sneak up on her. "Master Iruka, how nice of you to come, and it only took you five days to find us."

She then proceeded to walk up to him and punch him hard enough in the stomach for him to double over in pain. "I don't like you," she informed him.


	6. Like a Punch to the Gut

**A/N: Well only about 2 weeks between updates. So not too bad, right? Part 7 is nearly complete, and part 8, let's just say I have plenty of work to do. **

**Thank to everyone who reviewed, followed or favorite. I truly appreciate the support!**

**Part 6: Like a Punch to the Gut. **

**~OOOOOOO~**

Some things just don't change no matter how many millennium pass or how much training and meditation one does.

Case in point, Ryoko's temper.

"Get up," Ryoko ordered. "I didn't hit you that hard."

Iruka slowly, painfully straightened to his full height. "I beg to differ Miss Hakubi," he said slowly. "That was very hard."

Ryoko smirked, there was a dangerous, unsympathetic glint in her eyes, and her fist remained balled up in a fist. Only the presence of Naruto nearby made her hold back the full force of her anger. She then abruptly turned to the lake, and as if nothing had transpired, yelled for an end of training, much to blond's chagrin.

"But Ryoko – "

"But nothing. We have company, get your butts down here right now!"

Iruka followed Ryoko's gaze upward. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull and a strangled cry of panic escaped his lips. His wayward, knuckle-headed student was at least two stories high standing on . . . _nothing_. "Naruto, get down here right away before you kill yourself!"

"No way Master Iruka, I can do this all day," the blond replied smugly. "Pretty awesome right? Ryoko taught me how to do it."

At a loss for words, his teacher watched dumbfounded as Naruto nonchalantly made his way down, with a purring Ryo-ohki perched on his shoulder, to where the two adults were standing. This was not what Iruka was expecting. He had entertained a lot of scenarios, each one worse than the last, but watching Ryoko kiss the boy on his forehead as she told him how proud she was of him was not one of them. Nor was seeing Naruto grin ear to ear as he basked in the glow of her warm praise.

Finally the three turned their attention to the academy instructor. "Well Master Iruka, what did you think?" Naruto asked, all but begging to be praised.

"That was truly astounding, but how did you do it?"

"It's the same principal as walking up trees, or on water," Ryoko answered in his stead. She had tried to explain the principles to Naruto numerous times, but was met with blank stares. "But it's a lot harder because the atoms are a lot further apart in air than they are in liquids and solids, which makes fusing your chakra with air nearly impossible. It's why very few people can do it, never mind master it enough to use it in battle."

"I – I see," Iruka said. He took a step back and stared at his student as if he were seeing him for the first time. Physically he looked much the same. He was still undersized for his age, rail thin, and he still favored that garish orange even when it came to swim-trunks. He could barely make a clone that didn't look like a deformed blob, but somehow he was able to walk on air, a skill that required precise chakra control. He shook his head in disbelief. "Amazing."

Naruto's grin widened at the compliment.

Iruka's amazement didn't stop with the boy. When he had first came across Ryoko, he had thought her combative and wild, possibly even a rogue ninja, or a ronin. But it was becoming quite obvious to him that there was more to her. The fact that she was able to take a bottom of the barrel student like Naruto and managed to teach him something that difficult, was truly amazing.

As he reassessed his earlier evaluation of the stranger, amber cat eyes stared back at him in open distrust.

The ex-space pirate's distrust wasn't necessarily personal. But after spending the past five days with Naruto, talking with him between bouts of training, learning more about his living conditions and how the vast majority of villagers treated him, she had a developed a strong disdain for them all. Iruka was one of the very few adults that didn't treat the boy like he was a pollutant to the village. But that still didn't mean she liked or trusted the academy instructor one bit. This man with the scar across his nose may seem perfectly nice, but her overprotective nature made it impossible for her to see anyone but an enemy.

Naruto was ignorant of the mental musings of the adults around him. He looked back and forth between them waiting for someone to say or do something. "Are you two in a trance or something? Don't tell me you fell in love with each other!"

"What?!" was Iruka's and Ryoko's simultaneous reply, the force of which nearly knocked the poor boy on his butt.

"Naruto don't say that kind of stuff, even in jest," Ryoko said, quickly recovering from the shock of his statement. She ruffled his hair. "We were just sizing each other up in case we have to fight each other in the future."

"Oh," the blond responded puzzled. "But why would you need to fight? You're both on the same side."

"Habit," came Ryoko's quick response. "Some responses are so ingrained that it's difficult to break them."

"I see. It looked weird though," Naruto said and then paused for several moments as a thoughtful look came over his face. "My next door neighbor must get into a lot of fights, especially with women. At least twice a week all I hear is screaming and stuff crashing to the floor. They must be very religious too. I asked him about it one time, and he said that once you're a chunin, girls line up around the block to mmf –"

Ryoko slapped a hand across his mouth just in time to stop him from continuing, much to Iruka's relief. "What kind of rat hole does he live in? He shouldn't be hearing that kind of stuff at his age."

"I know," was Iruka's grudged reply. God alone knew what his naive brain was soaking up in that apartment building, but there was nowhere else to put him. The places that would accept a jinchuuriki as a resident could be counted on one hand, with fingers to spare. Only a direct order from the Hokage himself allowed Naruto a place to live. With a weary sigh he put his hand out for the boy to take. "It's time to go home, Naruto."

The blond would have have protested had Ryoko not stepped in and swatted the man's hand away like it was an annoying fly. "Says who?"

"Says me. Naruto's had a nice little vacation, I'm glad he's made new friends, and I'm sorry he doesn't live in a five-star hotel, but he needs to go back to the village, he has classes in the morning," Iruka responded with a slight edge. "You had no right taking him from his home."

"But classes are so boring," Naruto groused, completely ignorant of the rising tension between the two adults. "You lecture too much. Besides, I'd much rather train with Ryoko and Ryo-ohki."

Behind the blond, Ryoko couldn't help but smirk triumphantly at his teacher. She wrapped an arm possessively around the boy's shoulder as if daring Iruka to take him away from from her.

"I didn't take anyone for the record," Ryoko said. "He came to me of his own freewill, and he'll stay with me of his own freewill, because in the end taking a chance with a complete stranger is a hell of a lot better than what he had."

"That changes nothing, he's still a citizen of the Hidden Leaf village, and what you did is still tantamount to kidnapping."

"Kidnapping?! Now you're accusing me of kidnapping? Naruto is very special to me, I would never, ever harm him, unlike your village." Ryoko ground her teeth, her anger was quickly rising and her palm was itching as she suppressed the desire to form her energy sword. Instead she took a deep breath, and released the blond. "Naruto, why don't you take Ryo-ohki and go back to the campground. Start making lunch while the adults have a little conversation."

The boy looked back and forth between the two nervously, even he was finally able to pick up on the tension between the two adults. "You're not going to kill each other, are you?"

"No," Iruka answered. "It's just going to get a little heated, and we don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay," Naruto replied still fretful that something bad was going to happen. He sort of obeyed Ryoko, he did leave the lake shore with the cabbit, but he stopped halfway to the campground and hid behind a tree with a thick trunk. His sensitive hearing easily picked up on the conversation up ahead. Ryo-ohki who was perched on the boy's shoulder was picking up on Ryoko's overwhelming emotions through their link. The small cabbit was tense enough that the fur on her back was raised in agitation. If that man raised even one hand toward her sister, she was going to show him that Ryoko wasn't the only who had picked up a few tricks.

Once they left her field of vision Ryoko turned her attention to the academy instructor and continued

from an earlier point. "He did have a nice vacation by the way. A nice vacation from being ostracized, bullied, and hated."

"It's not that bad," Iruka said defensively. Though he couldn't completely hide a note of doubt from his voice. He had seen flashes of bruises that the boy tried to hide, knew he had missed a meal or two, and had tried to help. But he knew, deep down, that the boy needed more than an occasional handout.

Ryoko's eyebrows shot up at his answer. "You're kidding, right? Have you spoken to him? I mean really spoken to him, found out what it's like for him to be a jinchuuriki."

"I know most of the adults and older children are mean to him. But they have their reasons, even though it's no excuse – "

"You're right, there is no excuse," Ryoko interrupted. Barely restrained anger radiated from her body in waves, her amber eyes glowed with hatred. Her hands trembled as she tried to control her temper. She was beginning to regret saying she would wait seven days; she wished they had left after that first night.

"There's no excuse that would pardon the kind of treatment Naruto is getting simply because someone in your damn village thought it was good idea to stuff the nine-tails demon in him like he was a sausage casing when he just a newborn. He didn't choose to be your ultimate weapon! He didn't choose to be a demon, he was made into one! And yet everyday he's punished for it. Everyday he's abused and neglected for it. And you want me to let you take him back to that?! Are you really that stupid?!"

"You don''t understand anything," Iruka responded quietly.

"I understand enough!" Ryoko snapped. "He's nothing more than a living doll, a puppet to your village. You kick and drag him around and treat him like dirt until the day you need him, and then you'll toss him into the front lines. And the thing is, he would gladly go there because he's so desperate for attention and acceptance. Why do think he went off with me so easily? I could have been a psychopath. Why do you think he plays those pranks? He wants to be noticed, even if it's only to get punished."

Iruka stepped back from the venom in her voice. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn that she was making a veiled reference to herself.

"I know you think you understand, but you don't. That demon was going to destroy the village. It had already killed scores of people, including my parents. It was a hopeless situation and we did what we had to for the greater good of the village. One had to be sacrificed so that everyone else could live!"

Iruka's voice didn't reach the same decibels as Ryoko, but it still managed to reach Naruto's hiding spot.

It took several moments for the adults words to sink in, and when they did he felt his heart constrict painfully. He shook his head in wild disbelief, as if he could somehow physically remove what he had heard if he shook hard enough.

Everyone, including himself, knew of the nine-tails, knew of the death and destruction it caused the village. To find out that thing was inside of him was almost to much for him to bear. Large tears welled in his eyes and fell in near streams down his cheeks. But he made no move to wipe them away, he was too busy staring at his hands and arms as if they belonged to someone else. There was a demon inside of him, a demon who killed people, no wonder everyone hated him, he was evil. He clawed at the whiskers on his face as if that would somehow get rid of the Kyuubi within, until he could smell the metallic odor of blood. His cheeks stung as salty tears fell into the self-inflicted wounds.

_I'm a monster, _he thought.

Ryo-ohki did her best to comfort the boy. She purred as loud as she could, mewed and rubbed against his neck, but it was to no avail. He was sinking into a despair and there was only one person she knew who could who pull him out of it. She jumped off his shoulder and teleported to her sister. She landed between the adults and raised such a ruckus that all arguing stopped. Through their link she replayed what had just transpired.

Shocked, she turned and said one phrase to Iruka before teleporting away.

"He heard everything."


	7. The Bonds that Tie

**Part 7: The Bonds that Tie.**

Even with Ryoko and Ryo-ohki's teleportation, the blond's considerable speed allowed him to get a sizable lead.

Naruto ran.

He ran away from Ryoko, Ryo-ohki, and Iruka.

He ran away from his village.

He ran blindly into the deepest, thickest part of the forest not caring where he ended up.

Tears streamed down his face, and one thought went though his head over and over again. _I'm a monster._ He finally understood why the village's adults stared at him with cold eyes as they muttered obscenities in hate-filled tones. He understood why he was a favorite target of bullying teens who took a little too much pleasure in picking fights with him. He understood it all, and he was certain it was just a matter of time before Master Iruka and Ryoko would realize what a mistake it was to involve themselves with him.

He wished he hadn't eavesdropped on the two adults' conversation. If he had done what he was told in the first place, he wouldn't be running headlong into the forest, his heart and mind filled with anguish and despair. Instead they would have been sitting around a warm fire enjoying lunch. But he was afraid they were going to hurt each other, and he wanted to be nearby to prevent it.

Now, he was paying the price for his disobedience. All those strong emotions caused by the trauma of finding out who he truly was, wasn't enough to completely break the seal. But it was enough for a pinprick crack to appear in it. Which was all the Kyuubi needed to make its presence known to his host's conscious mind.

The nine-tails was the embodiment of pure hatred and the epitome of destruction. The pictures,

memories gleamed mostly from past hosts, flashed through the boy's mind gave testament to this. The bodies of hundreds, possibly thousands, of men, women, and children lay shewn across blood encrusted battle fields like the broken toys of a malignant god. Empty eyes of the dead seemed to stare through time and space at Naruto, chilling him to the marrow, to his very DNA.

Over and over again, the nine-tails bombarded the boy with images both grotesque and heartrending. The Kyuubi reasoned, if a small emotional trauma caused a crack in the seal, then hundreds of images showing his true destructive power aught to completely shatter it. Then he would be free to carry out his revenge against the Hidden Leaf Village.

It was difficult for the boy to run with those images dominating his mind's eye, and pay attention to where he was going. He knew/felt that he was running through small shrubs, as he felt the sting of branches whip his arm and torso. Rocks and twigs dug into the bottom of the blond's bare feet causing them to cut and bleed.

But still he ran. He ran until he tripped and fell in a heap at the base of a tree.

Seconds later, the females, having left Iruka far behind, crashed through some bushes. They stopped short upon seeing the boy's prone body. A choked sob of anguish escaped Ryoko's mouth as she dropped to her knees and scooped Naruto into her arms, not caring about ruining her yukata.

"Ryo-ohki, what the hell happened?" the ex-space pirate asked, fear and worry lacing her voice. With wide eyes, she scanned the forest and sky looking for whoever could have done this to the blond boy. "Did someone attack him?"

After scanning him, Ryo-ohki shook her head and explained what happened via their link.

"Oh Naruto," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for you to find out like this. I swear." Tears of anger fell as she realized it was her stupid carelessness that caused him to be like in this state. "Can you help him, little sister?"

Ryo-ohki nodded again, and the red gem on her forehead glowed brightly. After nearly a minute, the seal was closed, and the images stopped.

The portion of his psyche where the Kyuubi resided was pretty much an open book to anyone with training in the sealing arts. The rest of his of his psyche, Naruto's conscious and subconscious, should have been completely inaccessible to the cabbit.

But they weren't.

Ryo-ohki took advantage of this, she took the worst of the memories/images implanted by the Kyuubi and had them transmitted to her ship's hard-drive. It wasn't enough to leave gaping holes in his memory, (the holes in Ryoko's memory were completely unavoidable, and totally necessary) but it would be enough to allow for him to sleep and function normally. She realized, but didn't dwell on the fact that she shouldn't be able to do this. Not only for the moral implications, but because the cabbit and the blond had no telepathic link. And as far as she knew, he had no biological link to either her or Ryoko which would have facilitated such a link.

The cabbit shook herself mentally, that was a mystery for another time. With the seal closed, her gem died down, leaving Naruto writhing weakly in Ryoko's grasp. (Inside his cage, unheard and unseen, the Kyuubi roared in rage at being thwarted.)

"Naruto?" Ryoko said gently. There was fear in her voice. "Naruto? Can you hear me?"

His eyes fluttered open, and he stared up at the ex-space pirate with such a profane sadness that it broke Ryoko's heart. What an idiot she had been to not have made sure he was back at the camp before allowing her emotions to get the better of her. If she had shown even an iota of forethought, he would not be suffering like this.

"Ryoko?" came the shaky response. His voice sounded hoarse, like he had been screaming for hours."Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, and Ryo-ohki's here as well. We were worried about you."

She felt small hands grasp the front of her yukata and use it as leverage to pull himself so that he could wrap his arms around her neck in an embrace that smacked of desperation. Naruto rested his head against the ex-space pirate's shoulder, his whole body was shaking. "But why? I heard what you and Master Iruka said. I'm a monster."

"You're no monster to me," Ryoko responded in a gentle voice. "I knew what you were almost from the moment I set eyes on you. It didn't matter to me then, anymore then it matters now, or even in the future. I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it."

"I killed Master Iruka's parents," Naruto said in a small voice. "The villagers, they all hate me. They blame me for everything."

Ryoko pulled him closer into her embrace. Her voice became low enough that only the two of them could hear. "Do you remember what I said at the Hokage tower? I told you that I was a demon, and that I had a lot of blood on my hands."

Naruto nodded, not knowing where this was going.

The ex-space pirate paused, carefully trying to pick out the magical combination of words that would fix everything. In that instant, Ryoko wished she were smarter, more articulate. She wanted to help him, to show him that he wasn't alone; she didn't want to scare him or confuse him anymore than he probably was.

"When I was younger than you are now, I was kidnapped from my mother and forced to do horrendous things for my master. I was nothing more than a living doll covered in the blood of countless innocent people. Millions and millions of people died at my hands." Ryoko paused from her truncated PG version of her life to let her words sink in. When he didn't pull away or respond, she continued. "There's nothing I can do about the past, no matter how hard I wish for it, just as there's nothing you can do about what the Kyuubi did. And we can't change who we are. We are demons, me by birth, and you by artificial means. But that doesn't mean we have to be monsters. Our fates are not preordained, we can still have dreams and goals, and choose our own path in life. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"A little bit," Naruto said. "But it could happen, couldn't it? I could become a monster?"

She hugged him tighter so that they were cheek-to-cheek. The boy feebly fought against her restraining her arms, but was no match for the ex-space pirate's strength. "I won't lie to you Naruto. It could happen, but I'm going to do my best to train you so that your the one who's in control."

With a mental command, Ryo-ohki disappeared and then reappeared barely a minute later with a bucket of water and a sponge. Freeing an arm, she wrung excess water out and then started to gently wipe away blood and dirt away. Even with Kyuubi locked away safely, there was evidence of his influence from the way his cuts were already healing. In some cases they were already completely gone, leaving dried blood as the only evidence there was anything there.

"Don't listen to the villagers," Ryoko said after several minutes of silence. "You have to choose to be a monster. You have to choose to give in to darkness and embrace hatred."

"I know what you said, but I still can't stop thinking about all those people, the village . . ."

"You didn't do it Naruto," a breathless voice from behind said, catching the tail-end of the conversation. Iruka had finally caught up to the three, but it wasn't easy, all of them seemed to be able move with the quickness of thought. And by the look on their faces, something big must have happened during his absence. He knelt by the boy, taking note of the anguish in his face.

"I have never blamed you for my parents' death. I only blame the fox demon," Iruka said in gentle voice. He spared a look to Ryoko, and then quickly turned his attention back to the blond. There was something about the ex-space pirate mere presence that made his blood boil and his temper shorten (for a brief moment he wondered if he was jealous). No matter the reason though, there was no excuse for his behavior. He should have been more careful with his words.

"Really?"

"Yes. As far as I'm concerned you and the nine-tails are two separate beings."

Ryoko turned her head to the side, so that no one could see her frown. _No they're not,_she thought. _Not anymore._

"Then why are you always so mean to me? You call me a knucklehead all the time, and get angry at me."

"Well, to be perfectly blunt, that's because you drive me crazy, Naruto. You skip classes, you don't pay attention when you do attend. And don't even get me started on your pranks."

"I just wanted someone to pay attention to me," the boy said with a hangdog expression.

Iruka placed a gentle hand on his student's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"I know Naruto. Believe me, I understand what it's like to be an orphan watching from the outside, wanting desperately to be on the inside. And doing whatever it took to get even an drop of attention, any kind of attention. We're two of a kind, you and I." The academy instructor paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I know you think I'm harsh on you, and I apologize for that. But you have to know, that you are very important to me, not only as a student, but for simply being you, Uzumaki Naruto. My favorite knuckle-headed student."

Again tears sprang from Naruto's eyes, but these were happy ones. Ryoko released the boy and he dived into his teacher's arms. Not that this meant she trusted the academy instructor, or liked him in the least bit, but Naruto needed as many people on his side as possible. She just wished it hadn't taken a near breakdown on the blond's part for Iruka to come to his senses.

Ryoko turned her head so as not to intrude on their private moment. She hugged her little sister tightly to her chest. "I guess we're going back to the village, eh Ryo-ohki?"

_I just pray we don't have to deal with the Kyuubi anytime soon._


	8. Mono no Aware

**A/N: Nothing worse for a writer then staring at a blank screen/paper and not knowing what the heck to write about. **

**I really didn't have any plans for the Tenchi gang to show up anytime soon, if ever. But, the more I thought about Fugitaka, the more sense it made (at least to me) that Tenchi would not sit idly by as he went about murdering innocents. **

**Tsunami-fune, refers to the ship and not the goddess. **

**~OOOOOO~**

**Part 8. Mono No Aware.**

Mono no aware is the concept of transient beauty, of joy tinged with regret. It is symbolized by the cherry-blossoms which survives the harsh winter, only to bloom for a few days before dying.

It is a concept that Tenchi Masaki has been thinking about a lot lately in those all too brief moments when he wasn't busy being the crown-prince of Jurai. Sometimes it felt like his time with Ryoko was but a short dream, sweet and beautiful. But like all things beautiful, like her beloved cherry-blossoms, they die. And after all is said and done, it leaves a bitter taste behind, and plenty of what ifs.

Large sword-calloused hands wrapped around a bone-thin saucer filled to the brim with sake. He threw it back like it were a shot of whiskey and waited for the familiar burn as it went down his esophagus to the pit of his stomach.

Mono no aware, his grandfather had taught him that what felt like several lifetimes ago, but it was only recently that he truly understood it.

"She deserves to know," Prince Tenchi said with a shake of his head. He refilled his and his guest's saucer. There will be time to wax philosophical later.

"Why? What possible good would that do?" Washu responded with an edge of impatience. They had had this conversation before, and she was extremely busy. There were too many preparations to be made on her space ark, not to mention the creation of a portal that would be used to transport her and the ship to the planet Tsalagi. The planet's inner core had been sucked dry and it was just a matter of a couple of weeks before the inhabitants would begin to perish in droves from either oxygen deprivation or radiation poisoning.

"I didn't say it would do _any_ good. But wouldn't you want to know if millions of people were being murdered in your name?"

"No, not unless I could actually do something to about it. Which she can't."

"Little Washu," Tenchi admonished. "You're not serious, are you?"

"I am." Washu replied in a firm tone. "What she deserves, is happiness. What she deserves, is a family, and a home, and friends, and to be able to smile and laugh without having to watch her back because of something she had no control over."

"Is that a dig at me?" Tenchi asked. His mouth was a grim line, and his cheeks were taking on a shade of angry red. "Do you think I should have given up everything and followed Ryoko into exile? Should I have been more like my grandfather who abandoned his position and responsibility and dumped them all on a latter generation? Is that what you wanted?"

"No, Lord Tenchi," Washu responded gently. She reached out across the table and took his large hands in hers. "I am merely stating a fact. As a mother, I want only good things for my daughter. As much as I wished it was with you, I still want her find a place where she can belong."

Tenchi squeezed the redhead's small, child-like hands and closed his eyes trying to regain his balance. "I'm sorry Little Washu. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Pulling her hands free, she picked up her saucer and sipped the sake within. It was only fitting to drink the rice-wine while they discussed her wayward daughter. "It's okay Lord Tenchi. I understand, and I certainly don't blame you for getting upset."

The crown prince chuckled grimly. "Could you just call me Tenchi when we're alone? For just a few moments, I would like to be normal."

Washu nodded her head acquiescent. "But back to our topic, Tenchi. Finding out about Lord Fugitaka would hurt her. And what's more, it would serve no purpose."

"She's stronger than you give her credit for," Tenchi replied. "She's stronger than anyone gives her credit for. How else does she keep going despite everything she's been through."

Washu merely nodded. She knew it was wrong to doubt her own daughter, but there was something off about her bio readings. She and Ryo-ohki should be at a much higher power rating then they were, considering all the training they had been putting in.

Ignorant of the redheads train of thought, the crown prince raised his own saucer of sake to his lips and took a long pull from it, emptying it in one go.

He then ran his fingers over the designs, Sakura trees inlaid with mother of pearls on a lacquered black background that made the pink of the blossoms stand out even more. They were hand-crafted and highly expensive. They were also the last present he received from Ryoko. At the time he thought he would never find a need for them, but as the years and distance grew between them, he found himself wanting to connect with her in some way. Even if she wasn't there in person, he wanted, needed something that was uniquely her.

He wondered, not for the first time, what she would think if Ryoko saw teetotaler Tenchi swigging sake down like it were water. Probably tease him relentlessly right before she drank him under the table, he thought, a ghost of a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Tenchi set the saucer down and instantly his mood became somber. "I'm not completely insensitive to Ryoko's feelings. I know it will hurt her to find out about Lord Fugitaka's rampage, but – "

"No! There has to be a another way. You saw the recordings. I don't know much about this Naruto boy, but I do know that he makes her happy. I know this is a hard thing for you to hear, but she does love him. I can't ruin that for her," Washu said, her voice thick with emotion. "I – I couldn't protect her from Kagato, but I can from Fugitaka. And the best way to do that is to keep her ignorant."

"Little Washu. . ."

"Don't Little Washu me. She made a promise to that boy, if you were to inform her, you would place her in a precarious position. She would have to choose between leaving, or staying and putting his life in danger. Because you know damn well that monster Fugitaka will go after Naruto if he even suspects he's special to her."

Tenchi's jaws tightened. He never thought he'd see the day that he'd be jealous of a little boy. But Washu had a point, she was also missing a point in his opinion. "Even if she did have to leave for a bit, I believe with every fiber of my being that she can beat Fugitaka. And it's like you said, she made a promise, she won't break it by dying."

The red-headed scientist sighed. "I don't know Tenchi. Yoshino is third-generation ship, it can't create light hawk wings, but it can destroy a solar system which makes it powerful enough. The machinery he stole and installed to compensate for his ship being cut off from Tsunami-fune, is being used to absorb the energy from the inner core of 11 planets. But it doesn't stop there, the energy being absorbed is multiplied by I don't know how many degrees."

"Ryoko is powerful too, and she has Ryo-ohki," Tenchi responded, his conviction in the ex-space pirate unwavering. "They have both been training hard these past decades. We've only seen bits and pieces of what they can do."

"True," she conceded. "But he has been training for centuries for this moment. And his ship for all we know may even rival a first generation tree-ship. It may even be possible for it to form light hawk wings. Ryoko is still nowhere near as powerful. She's going against a mad-man who has dedicated his whole life to killing her."

The crown-prince frowned deeply. Several minutes passed in silence. Washu refilled their saucers as she waited for his decision. There was really only one course of action.

"That portal your creating to get to the planet Tsalagi to help the residents, is it big enough to fit a small armada through as well?"

"With a few modifications. Will you be leading it?"

The prince raised his saucer to lips and drained it one gulp nearly slamming it on the table in front of him. Several more moments passed in silence. It would be very easy for him to slide in a side trip to visit Ryoko's planet, which coincidentally was called Earth, to visit her. He hadn't seen her in about 60 years. Only the odd video gleamed from Washu tracking device, located in her crab necklace, was able to allow him and the rest of the family to see how she was faring.

He was surprised at both how much and how little she had changed over the decades. She had always been beautiful, but now her body was a finely tuned machine. She had grown several inches, and the soft roundness of her face and body were gone, in it's place were high cheekbones and a lithe body of an expert swords-woman. She had learned discipline and some patience, but she was also the same temperamental, combative person he had always known. And she still drank like a fish.

"No," he finally said.

"Really?" Washu asked in surprise.

"I can't, I still love her very much." he said as if that explained everything.

"Tenchi . . ."

"If I were to see her again, I would want to stay with her. But I know I can't. I have too many responsibilities here, so it's best to just stay away and avoid temptation all together."

It wasn't very often that the small red-headed scientist found herself at a loss for words. All she could do was shake her head in sympathy, their predicament reminding her of her past in many ways.

"I'll start on the modifications right away," she said finally. Getting up from her seat she went the despondent prince gathered him in her arms, and held him for several moments. It was like hugging a tank. The awkward, doughy teen she had teased and had come to love over the years, had grown into sinewy, hard muscled man. He was becoming wise, but at a cost. His sweet innocence and naivety was being replaced by a jaded resignation. "I'm sorry Tenchi. I'm so sorry you have to suffer like this. You didn't deserve to have your happiness taken away."

"Does anybody?" Tenchi replied with a small smile. "It's not your fault, Little Washu, just call me when your ready. I'll be sending five second-generation tree-ships with you."

"Understood." Pulling away, she left the crown-prince to his ruminations. She could tell his mind was drifting far away as he thought about the past, and what should have been.


	9. How to make friends and influence poeple

**A/N: Tertiary diamond release: I was trying to avoid confusion with diamond release of Naruto's world, and I was trying be showcase some of Ryoko's alien techniques. **

**For those who asked for Anko, here she is. I hope I did her justice. Oh, and Ryoko's nickname came from the fact that every time I looked her up I kept coming up with bean recipes.**

**Part 9: How to Make Friends and Influence People. The Ryoko edition.**

**~OOOOOO~**

Ryoko was exceedingly proud of herself.

She was having a very productive morning. She managed to get Naruto and Ryo-ohki (who for some inexplicable reason wanted to tag along with him) to school on time. She had just finished an extensive shopping spree, and two clones were at home awaiting pending deliveries as they cleaned the small apartment.

And just in time for the bars to open.

A week was a long time for to go without her beloved beverage, and she was looking forward to sampling this planet's version of sake. The ex-space pirate stretched her arms as high as they could go to get the last of the kinks out before heading towards the nearest drinking establishment. A gentle breeze blew through her hair, ruffling it slightly. It was a balmy, sunny day where everything seemed perfect and peaceful. Grinning and humming to herself, she was positive nothing could ruin her day.

She was wrong.

"Hey! Hey you!"

"Aw jeez, please tell me she's not talking to me," Ryoko muttered irritability, her mood immediately darkening. "I was having such a nice day too." She turned her attention to the voice and gave the woman a quick once over, assessing her threat level and how powerful she was. There was something odd about her chakra readings (not to mention her sense of fashion), but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"What do you want?" Ryoko finally said after nearly a minute of silence.

"You're the one who defeated the three chunin last week, aren't you?"

"If by three chunin, you mean three punk kids picking on a defenseless little boy, then yeah I'm the one. What's it to you?"

"My name is Mitarashi Anko. I'm the proctor of the second chunin exam. I was the one who passed them, and the fact that you don't even have a rank and was still able to defeat them, is a black mark on my reputation."

"Is that so Bean-girl?" Ryoko said in a tone dripping with boredom. She couldn't care less who she was, or if her precious reputation was ruined. If those were the type of people she was passing then she and this village had bigger problems. "I don't have a rank, because I don't need a rank. My power speaks for itself, but if it makes you feel better, my level is bijuu."

The ex-space pirate didn't know anything about shinobi rankings (she'll have to ask Ryo-ohki, or Naruto), so she didn't actually know if there was such thing as bijuu-level. But as far as she could tell, they were the the most powerful creatures on this planet, so it made complete and utter sense for her to compare herself to the tailed-beasts.

Ryoko went to pass by Anko, thinking their exchange was over. And it most likely would have been had she been talking to anyone else, but Orochimaru's former pupil wasn't like other people. She stuck out her arm to stop the cyan-haired female from walking by.

"I wasn't done stranger," Anko said, her tone giving no indication that she was impressed or intimidated by the other woman's claim. "There's no such thing a bijuu-level , and I think you're lying about how strong you are."

A wicked smile spread across Ryoko's face, a hint of fang was visible. "Really? I guess there's only one way to find out."

Using the arm that was blocking her, Ryoko flipped the other woman over. Even though she was momentarily caught off guard, Anko was still able to land on her feet. Not pausing for a second, the cyan-haired female quickly followed through with a punch that had it landed, would have knocked the wind out of her opponent's stomach, thereby ending the fight quickly.

No such luck.

Anko quickly dodged, and readied her kunai. "I'm no chunin, stranger. I'm a elite jonin," she announced.

"So the hell what," Ryoko retorted. "My name is Hakubi Ryoko by the way, and you'll go down the same way those punks did. Maybe I'll even visit you in the hospital."

"We'll see about that."

The ex-space pirate smirked, she then formed a small energy ball, and threw at her opponent. She missed. It hit the ground causing a small explosion of gravel and dirt. Quickly teleporting, she reappeared mere inches from the jonin with her energy sword formed and at the ready. Ryoko swung down and was met with a kunai. Sparks flew as each combatant put a great deal of their considerable strength behind their attacks.

After several moments, they pulled apart and Ryoko teleported several feet away.

"You couldn't care less about those chunin. You just wanted to fight me," Ryoko said, playing on a hunch.

"And why wouldn't I? I heard you were tough, so I had to test you for myself." Anko raised her arms. "Striking shadow snake!" Several snakes burst forward from the sleeves of her trench coat toward the ex-space pirate.

Ryoko snorted in contempt and flexed her fingers. Claws, easily four inches long and made of diamonds extended from the tips,. Tertiary diamond release: diamond claws, part of a new set of moves she had learned on another planet far, far away. There were very few things in this universe that they couldn't cut.

With a running charge, Ryoko shredded through the snakes as if they were rice paper, dodging poisonous fangs and blades held within their mouth. Several more volleys came at her forcing Ryoko's attention on them and not the younger woman who was using the last of them as a diversion to get behind her opponent's back. For a brief moment a look of triumph crossed Orochimaru's former pupil's face, she thought she had the cyan-haired female in her cross-hairs, but she was wrong. A mule kick to her stomach sent the younger girl flying across the marketplace only to crash into a stall selling brightly colored cloths.

Quickly getting up, she shook off several silk scarves that were clinging to her, and growled. The wind which was a calm and gentle breeze started to to pick up, whipping both combatants hair and causing goods from close-by stalls to fall and shatter. "Wind release: hundred –"

"That's enough out of you two," Ibiki said. His hand was over his fellow proctor's mouth keeping her from finishing her move, the wind quickly died down.

"And a not moment to soon," Kakashi replied with an arm on Ryoko's shoulder. Though he strongly suspected if she really wanted to get away there was little he could do to stop her. "If we were any later, the whole marketplace would have been in shambles."

"I wasn't going to use my full power," Ryoko said. "Besides, we were just having some fun."

Anko nodded vigorously in agreement.

"You two have a warped view of fun," Ibiki muttered in an exasperated tone. He lowered his hand from her mouth, but kept an grip on her upper arm.

"Be that as it may, you two will have to go somewhere else for your fun," the one-eyed jonin broke in.

A wicked grin spread across Ryoko's mouth as a thought came to her. "Well Bean-girl, I know exactly how to settle this, and we don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt."

"I'm listening . . ."

**ONE HOUR LATER . . .**

"Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug!" A chorus of patrons surrounded the pair of woman who in turn surrounded a growing collection of empty sake bottles. An alcohol induced blush graced each woman's face as they stared bleary eyed at each other. Many of the patrons who were not encouraging the women in their quest for alcohol poisoning were laying odds, and placing bets, on who would pass out first, and on what numbered bottle.

Ibiki and Kakashi were standing to the side staring at the women with equal parts astonishment and horror at the inhuman amount of sake each were consuming(it didn't stop them from placing bets).

Ryoko swayed slightly in her chair making it look as if she were about to take a tumble to the ground.

"Is that the best you can do, Ryoko? I didn't think you were such a lightweight," Anko taunted, her voice becoming more and more slurred. The bar was starting to spin a bit, even though she knew she was sitting perfectly still.

Ryoko immediately straightened up and called for another round. She grabbed two bottles and proceed to empty each one one in rapid succession. "Does that look lightweight to you, Bean-girl?"

The dark-haired woman mirrored the ex-space pirate's actions before answering. "The name's Anko, stop calling me Bean-girl."

Or at least that was what she was trying to say, what it sounded like in her head. What it sounded it like to everyone else was a slurred mess of barely decipherable words, punctuated by her collapsing to the floor.

"Finally," Ibiki said. He went to his fellow proctor's side and easily hoisted her into fireman's carry. "Good luck with that one," he said to the one-eyed jonin before taking his leave.

"Come along Miss Ryoko. I'll take you home."

Ryoko nodded her head. "I think you won the pot," she said as she got to her feet. Her stance was a bit wobbly as she regained her balance. "What? You didn't think I noticed you all making bets on us?"

Kakashi at least had the good grace to look abashed at having been caught. "Uh, yeah, I won."

"Good, you get your winnings and I'll pay my tab, and we can get the hell out of here."

The cyan-haired female pulled out her coin purse, paid for the sake, left a generous tip and even paid for the next round for the remaining patrons. She did this all with such acuity, that Kakashi was left to wonder at how drunk she really was.

Ryoko walked close, but did not touch the male jonin, as they made their way to Naruto's apartment. He had offered a shoulder to lean on, but she refused. Already she could feel her metabolism burning off the poisonous effects of all those bottles of sake. Her body was getting too good at ridding itself of toxins. But for the moment, she was enjoying the warm buzz of alcohol as it swam through her system.

The walk started out quietly. Ryoko could feel Kakashi's gaze fall upon her every once in a while, almost as if he were making sure that she didn't fall flat on her face. For Ryoko's part she found her mind wondering, there was a bit of a mental conundrum going on. She was trying hard to hold on to the hate she felt for the village and its people, but she found she was actually starting to like a few of them.

With a shake of her head she turned to her escort. "So, who did you piss off to get stuck with this assignment?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Don't be coy. I know you've been spying on us when we were in the woods. The old man put you up to it didn't he?"

Kakashi saw no point in lying. "Yes, the Hokage asked me to keep an eye on you."

Ryoko chuckled darkly. "I guess I can't blame him. I've been a bit of a nuisance, haven't I?"

That's putting it lightly, he thought. "You're not going to beat me up now?" he asked half jokingly.

"No, at least not today. I would like to fight you one of these days."

"Do you always go into villages and challenge everyone to a fight?"

"Of course, though sometimes they challenge me, but how else am I to get stronger?" Her tone was laced with genuine confusion.

"There is more to life than fighting."

"Maybe for some people, but for me this is who and what I am."

"And what is that?"

"A demon," Ryoko said simply, the last of the sake making her tongue loose. "All children of gods are demons," she finished quietly.

"You're a child of a god? And the tailed-beasts? Are they children of a god?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. While occasionally popping in to keep an eye on the ex-space pirate during her time in the forest, he had heard her refer to herself and Naruto as demons. But he knew of the blond's bloodline, there was no god, or goddess as far as he knew. And he knew the story of the sage of six paths. As far as he knew, he was no god, though he did create the moon . . .

"Yup, I am," Ryoko replied with a note of pride. "I'm afraid I don't know much about them, it might be they're children of a local god. Which means, they're on a much lower rung on the ladder than I am. Though in all honesty, right now I'm only as powerful as the weakest one."

_Only?_ Kakashi thought a little dismayed. "I see."

"Do you? I admit, it sometimes confuses the crap of me. But then I'm a bit of a knucklehead myself," she responded with a laugh very reminiscent of Naruto's

"There seems to a caste system even amongst the gods. Should I be calling you Lady Ryoko?" he asked half jokingly.

"Oh, no. Ryoko is just fine with me. I never cared much for formalities."

"So I noticed."

In response, the ex-space pirate merely smiled widely at the one-eyed jonin. They were in front of the apartment complex, and she was almost completely sober.

"I appreciate the escort, Kakashi," Ryoko said as levitated off the ground. "Oh, by the way? Love the hair."

Ryoko teleported away leaving a thoroughly confused jonin to scratch at his head.

"Interesting times indeed," he muttered to himself recalling the Hokage's words.


	10. School of Hard Knocks

**A/N: I may have painted myself into a corner here. But, since Naruto is receiving all this training from Ryoko, it makes sense that he would graduate to genin a lot faster. Right? The problem is who do I partner him up with? **

**I think I was a little rough on Sasuke. But if I remember correctly, he and Naruto didn't particularly like each other pre-series.**

**Part 10: School of Hard Knocks.**

**~OOOOOO~**

Universal truth #2,345, no little girl can resist the cuteness of Ryo-ohki.

It doesn't matter what planet you're from, it doesn't matter what species you are, there are certain things that are hardwired into all females' brain.

Much to their teacher's chagrin.

_God must hate me_, he thought with a groan.

Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose in agitation as he tried several times to get the females of his class to pay attention and sit down. But the girls either didn't hear him, or more likely they were completely ignoring him. Instead they huddled around Naruto's desk (or what would have been his desk had he not been unceremoniously pushed aside) so that they could take turns playing with the cabbit.

Ryo-ohki was eating this attention up like it was an all-you-can-eat carrot buffet. She transformed into her toddler form and mya-ed a nursery rhyme while she performed little hand gestures. Her audience, who took her transformation in stride, nearly melted at the cuteness.

"What a bother," Shikamaru stated. "As if class wasn't already a pain in the ass waste of time, now we have to put up with whatever the hell that is."

At the first 'aw' from the girls, the boys beat a hasty retreat to the back of the classroom. Most of them were just leaning against the wall waiting for order to be asserted so that class could begin. But a few were were giving voice to their annoyance.

"Yeah, why'd you bring that mangy thing here anyway?" Sasuke said.

"She's not a mangy thing," Naruto responded heatedly. "Ryo-chan is Ryoko's partner. And she's real cool too, she can do transformation jutsu." (This was how the ex-space pirate explained the cabbit's ability to go from a small furry creature to a toddler, it was a lot easier than telling the truth.)

"You'd be able as well, if you actually went to class," Sasuke said in a mocking tone. "And paid attention, and had a brain."

Naruto growled, and turned his attention to the other boy. "Oh yeah! I bet you can't do this!"

A moment passed as the blond-boy focused his chakra to his feet, and just as Sasuke was about to continue his teasing, Naruto began walking upwards. Two feet, four feet, 10 feet, higher and higher he climbed until he was easily able to touch the ceiling. He looked down with a smug look on his face, the whole class was staring at him in awe.

"I may not be a genius like you Sasuke, but I know you can't do this!"

"So what? I could learn to do that. Anyone could learn do that," his rival scoffed.

Pride turned to anger, Naruto's fists clenched and unclenched as he stared daggers at the raven-haired boy below. "Ryoko said it takes a lot chakra to do this, and a lot of focus! She says I'm smart, that I'll a great warrior, and a great Hokage one day, and that anyone who says different was the stupid one!"

"If she thinks you're anything but an idiot, then maybe she's the one who's stupid." Sasuke said antagonistically.

Before anyone could blink, Naruto was in front of his rival. The blond grabbed a handful of the other boy's shirt and was pulling him close until they were practically nose to nose. The rest of the students stared in wide-eyed shock at how quickly Naruto had moved. Was it possible that a week with that stranger had changed their bottom-of-the-barrel classmate into someone resembling a true shinobi?

And more importantly, was she available for tutoring?

To his credit, Sasuke didn't back down. He stared boldly, unabashedly into the other boy's bright blue eyes. Naruto had just returned from his foray with that woman and already the blond was on his last nerve. All the knucklehead could do was talk about that Ryoko woman. How cool she was, how powerful she was, how she was going to train him to be a great shinobi. It was basically Ryoko this, and Ryoko that, and he was sick to death of it.

"You take that back!" Naruto yelled.

"Or what? You gonna hit me? You've never been able to land a punch on me yet, this time will be no different."

Naruto dropped his hold on Sasuke's shirt with a growl. A wild anger shone brightly in the blond's blue eyes as he pulled back his fist to deliver a punch that would once and for all stop Sasuke's teasing. Thankfully, his arm was caught by Iruka who had just barely made it there in time to stop a full out fight.

"Everyone, back to your seats! Class started 20 minutes ago!"

Shuffling was heard as students reluctantly made their ways to their desks. Ryo-chan took a seat next to Naruto's empty seat on the long wooden bench. She stared expectantly at the two boys who were once again staring daggers at each other.

"You too Sasuke, Naruto. Go to your seats."

"Yeah, Naruto go back to your seat, like a good doggy. Your weird little mongrel girlfriend is waiting for you." The raven-haired boy couldn't leave well enough alone, he had to get one more jab in.

Before anyone could react, Naruto snapped. He pulled out of his teacher's grasp and and threw a punch that the other boy barely missed. And it was a good thing that the blond had missed, as he would have broken every bone in Sasuke's face. The raven-haired boy looked from the crater in the wall to Naruto and back again.

"You still can't land a punch," he taunted. "All that training and –"

Naruto landed a punch in Sasuke's stomach, momentarily knocking the wind out of him, and effectively stopping his teasing. The blond then made his way to his seat. His expression was a dark cloud of anger and hate. Several of the girls gasped in sympathetic pain, and would have gone to their crush's side to aid him had not a single look from their teacher kept them rooted to their seats.

"Mya?"

"I'm fine Ryo-chan. I just hate that jerk-face," Naruto said quiet enough that only the cabbit could hear him. "Everyone thinks he's so cool, but he's not."

"Psst! Hey Naruto!" Kiba who was seated behind him whispered loudly. The blond twisted to face his loudmouthed classmate. "Those were some pretty sweet moves you had there. Is Ryoko the girl who blew up the playground? Is she your sensei?"

Being as mercurial as the ex-space pirate, Naruto quickly forgot about his rival, and his anger. His face broke out into a grin, and he nodded enthusiastically. "She's been training me for the past week."

"Do you think she could train me?"

"I wouldn't mind some extra training as well," chimed in Shino.

"I don't know, guys. She said not everyone has the ability to learn what she's teaching me."

"Aw, come on, buddy," Kiba practically begged. "At least ask her."

Naruto nodded his acquiescence, though with little of his earlier enthusiasm. He then turned in his seat so that he was facing Iruka who had finished helping Sasuke and was now starting his lecture. In all honestly he didn't want to ask her. He liked having Ryoko's undivided attention. It was like having an older sister, or maybe even a mother. If she were to take on other students, even part time, would he cease to be special to her? Would she think he was an idiot compared to Sasuke and the others?

The blond boy frowned, and for the rest of the day he was quiet. An unusual feat for Naruto.

**THREE PM . . . . .**

Clean and sober, Ryoko appeared near the Shinobi Academy entrance-way just in time for the bell to ring. Moments later a mass of students rushed out of the door and into the yard. Most paid little attention to the cyan-haired female as they made their way to what ever after-school activity was awaiting them. A few paused and wistfully glanced at her before continuing on their way. And one boy with raven-hair had the audacity to stare at her in open hostility.

The ex-space pirate quirked an eyebrow at him in puzzlement. _What the hell is his problem_, she thought. She followed his movements until he disappeared from her sight, taking in the angry scowl and clenched fists.

Shaking her head slightly, she returned her attention to the door of the school. She had better things to concern herself with than some emo looking boy. They had several hours of training to go through before darkness fell, and she was anxious to get started.

Her two charges were the last to exit the building, and they weren't alone. Behind them was Iruka looking much put-upon, and a second male she had never seen before. The quartet made a bee-line to the ex-space pirate. The blond was staring at the floor as he walked, while Ryo-chan skipped along as if nothing were the matter.

Ryoko gave a rueful shake of the her head, a teacher's escort was never a good sign. And it looked like he had two of them.

"So, what did he do?" she asked without preamble.

"He got into a slight altercation with one of the boys," the second male replied in a quiet tone.

Ryoko quirked an eyebrow at this, her mouth drawn down in a slight frown. "I see – ?"

"Master Mizuki." he responded with a slight bow.

Looking thoroughly unimpressed with the second teacher, she turned to Naruto. "I didn't teach you to fight so you could get into trouble."

"I wasn't trying to get into trouble. The girls were fawning all over Ryo-chan., saying how cute she was. And then Sasuke was acting like a jerk and calling her names, and then he called you stupid, and then he said I couldn't land a punch. So I punched him."

Despite her best efforts to remain stern and parental, a small chuckle broke out causing the two teachers to frown. "And who is this Sasuke?"

"Uchihia Sasuke," Iruka said. "For some reason they have had a rivalry going on between the them for quite some time. Though up until now it's always been a very one-sided rivalry."

"He wouldn't have spiked black hair and a perpetual scowl on his face, would he?"

"That sounds like him," Iruka said.

"I don't think he likes me. Though, I don't actually remember doing anything to him."

"Sasuke doesn't like anyone," supplied Naruto. "But the girls all think he's cool, they practically treat him like royalty."

Ryoko gave a small roll of her eyes at the hearing that. Granted she didn't know the boy personally, but she knew the type. The quiet, dark, moody, loner who exudes a mysterious aura that sends the vast majority of girls and woman into breathless adoration with just a few words.

And even though the ex-space pirate was female, and therefore prone to the mysteries and contradictions that comes with being a female, there were some things that baffled even her. She never understood how girls, no matter what their age or species, could find males like Sasuke attractive at all. He radiated anger from every pure and had a standoffish attitude that should stave off people, or at least people with any sense in their head.

"Is that all?" Ryoko asked, impatient to get going.

"Miss Ryoko, this is serious," Iruka admonished.

"I realize that, and I'm not trying to make light of it. But, in all honesty, I've found having a rival is not necessarily a bad thing, it encourages both parties to up their games. But I will discipline him, okay?"

Ryoko didn't wait for an answer. She gathered her charges and left without a backwards glance. Once out of earshot Mizuki turned to his colleague.

"Is she always that rude? Should she be training Naruto? He may pick up on some of her bad habits."

"You don't know the half of it," Iruka said softly. "As for training, she may very well be the only one who can train him."

"Because of the nine-tails? Is she some kind of jinchuuriki from another land?"

"I don't know what she is, but I don't think she's a jinchuuriki. I don't think she's human."

"Then what is she?" Mizuki asked.

The two men stared at the spot where the trio were last seen for several moments. Iruka had no answer for his colleague, he wasn't even sure why he had made the comment in the first place. He just knew there was something very strange about her. He just hoped that Naruto didn't pay a high price for his trust.

Meanwhile, the boy and two females were making their way to the sign-out post. They had been quiet with Naruto casting sideways glances at the cyan-haired female who wore a serious expression.

"Are you really upset with me?"

"Hmm? Nah. I just said that to get them off our back, but if they ask, just tell them I made you do 50 laps or something," Ryoko said with a small chuckle. "I understand why you did it. I've done a lot worse for less offenses. Just don't get yourself thrown out of school. Okay? "

The blond nodded.

"I've been doing research," Ryoko said after a brief pause. (And by research she meant having Ryo-ohki hack into the village's computer files and then have the prevalent info sent directly to her via their mental link.) "And in less than a year's time the genin exams will be coming up. I think if we train hard enough, you could pass."

"Really? Because I took it last time, and I failed horribly. I could barely answer any of the questions, and my clones looked like orange mush."

"Well, that's because you didn't have us on your side," Ryoko said cockily referring to herself and her sister. "If you want we can start working on your clone technique tonight, maybe I can figure out what you're doing wrong. As for the written exam," she paused whilst signing them out. "I'm willing to bet that what was on the written exam was what was being taught in class. Ryo-ohki can help with that. We could make flash cards and drill for a bit after dinner everyday. Does that sound okay to you?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, his impatience to get started was growing by the moment. If he could reach genin before Sasuke, that would shut him up. And prove that he was the better shinobi.

"So let's get started, I'll race you to our spot," Ryoko said. And no sooner were the words out then a red streak followed closely by an orange one was seen darting into the forest.

Ryo-chan on the other hand, paused and looked up into the trees at a red-headed scientist. She waved at her creator before taking off herself.

Washu simply looked down from her perch with a benevolent look on her face. In her left-hand was a small device, the readings that were displayed on it were strange even to her. Something inexplicable was going on with Ryoko's power levels. Perhaps, it was time to pay her wayward daughter a visit?


	11. Part 11: The Universe's Number One Scien

**A/N: If this isn't the longest chapter title ever, then I would be honestly surprised.**

**~OOOOOOOOOOOOO~**

**Part 11: The Universe's Number One Scientific Genius Meets the Sand Village's Number One Knucklehead.**

Hours later, as the sun was finishing its slow descent into the west, and the first of the stars were just making their appearance, Naruto, Ryo-ohki, and Ryoko returned home.

To save time and energy, the ex-space pirate flew down to the third story and then phased them through the window and into Naruto's apartment. Tired and hungry, the trio were looking forward to a bath, dinner (courtesy of Ryoko's clones), and a good night's sleep.

What they were not expecting was for the universe's greatest scientific genius to have made herself at home.

"You know Ryoko, they have this new invention, it's called a door."

"Yeah, I've heard of them. They're also suppose to keep unwanted pests out," the ex-space pirate deadpanned without missing a beat.

If Ryoko's greeting lacked any enthusiasm, then Ryo-ohki's more than made up for it. Leaping from atop her sister's head, she transformed into her toddler form and landed safely into Washu's waiting arms.

"At least one of you treats me with respect I deserve."

"She probably smells carrots on you," Ryoko stage whispered to a snickering Naruto.

"Oh Ryoko, how you wound my soul with your words," Washu replied with hand over heart, a look of mock hurt on her face.

Confused, Naruto immediately jumped from Ryoko's back and placed himself between the females. He stared intently at the red-headed scientist for several moments, his face was scrunched up as if he were trying to process a particularly difficult problem. He then turned to the ex-space pirate. "Who's the midget?"

Ryoko laughed uproariously; Washu narrowed her eyes in anger. "Oh, so you think it's funny that a little brat calls your poor mother names, do you?"

"I don't _think_ it's funny; I _know_ it's funny."

"Wait a minute," the blond interjected. "That midget's your mom? How the hell did she end up with someone as awesome as you for a daughter?"

Several tic marks appeared on Washu's forehead. "I see, he's not only the president of your fan club, but a recent attendee of your finishing school."

Enveloping Naruto tightly, Ryoko pulled him so that he was flush with her chest. "He sure is. He's my prized pupil."

Nodding proudly, Naruto grinned widely, and snuggled closer to the ex-space pirate.

The red-head shook her head in exasperation.

But Washu couldn't help but marvel at how happy Ryoko looked. The smile on her face was wide and toothy, and her eyes shone with a deep affection that the scientist hadn't seen in a long time, and certainly not directed at her. Through their link, she could feel the overwhelming love her daughter felt for the blond; it was like tidal waves crashing on the beach.

The short scientist couldn't help the pang of jealousy that stabbed at her heart. Once again some boy was taking a prominent place in her daughter's heart. It seemed as if no matter what she did or said, there was never any room for her in Ryoko's life.

Ryo-chan noticed her mother/creator's distress and snuggled closer to her.

"Ah, thank you, sweetheart," Washu whispered.

A moment later, one of Ryoko's clones popped out, and announced that dinner was ready.

"I'm starving!" Naruto announced to nobody, and quickly made his way to the small dinner table in the kitchenette.

"Wash your hands first!" Ryoko called out. Ignoring the blond's protest, she then turned to her guest. "My cooking is nowhere near as good as Sasami's, but you're welcome to stay for dinner, Mom."

Recognizing an olive branch when she saw one, Washu smiled and nodded her acquiescence.

Several minutes later, the three females and Naruto were seated around the table with bowls piled high with rice. Small platters of grilled vegetables and fish placed in the middle were also available. Ryoko's cooking had indeed improved over the decades, as had her taste buds (though they were nowhere near that of a normal persons). Her cuisine was nothing fancy, and like Ryoko said, it wasn't as good as the blue-haired princess, but it looked good, and it tasted good. Which was a far cry from her days when she could barely form a rice ball.

It wasn't until Ryoko was well into her second bowl of rice that she realized that her mother wasn't going to be forthcoming on why she was visiting

"So, why are you here?" Ryoko asked bluntly.

"Ever the diplomat, eh Ryoko?" Washu said with a light laugh. "Does a mother really need a reason to visit her delinquent daughter?"

"Please," the ex-space pirate said with a huff. "You never felt the need to visit before."

"True, but in my defense you never stayed in one place for very long. As soon as I pinpointed your location, you're up and gone for parts unknown."

"Point taken," Ryoko grumbled, grudgingly conceding the point. But even as she shoved a large piece of fish in her mouth, continuing her dinner, she knew there was more to the story. After all her mother had the pendent to monitor her, not to mention she had full access to Ryo-ohki's memory banks. Why would the scientist want, or need, to leave her cozy lab to come to a land that must seem awfully backwards was beyond the ex-space pirate's ability to figure out.

These were the times when Ryoko _almost_ wished their link was a little more of a two-way street.

"Besides," Washu continued with a teasing tone. "From everything Ryo-chan has told me, I just had to meet the boy who had captured my daughter's heart, and healed her wounded spirit! And look at him, such a handsome boy!"

"Who me?" Naruto asked, blinking owlishly. Several grains of rice were stuck to his face.

Ryoko shook her head in agitation. "Don't pay attention to her; she just likes to cause mischief." She then turned to her mother, "And you, stop teasing him, you're scaring the poor boy." Ryoko said as she leaned over the the table and wiped the blond's face with a napkin. "He's too young for me, in case you you hadn't noticed."

Washu decided not to bring up the fact that Tenchi wasn't that much older than the blond when her daughter fell in love with him. Instead she kept her attention on Naruto. "Yes you, my dear."

"Ryoko's way too old for me. She has to be at least 25."

The red-headed scientist laughed, not only because of the boy's definition of old, but for the fact that Ryoko hadn't been 25 in several millennium. She wondered what the blond would say if he knew her daughter was well over 5,000 years old, or that she herself was over 20,000.

The cyan-haired woman narrowed her eyes, and stared daggers at Naruto until he started to squirm under her gaze. "What have I told you about women and their age?"

The blond gulped audibly. "Th-That they're very sensitive about it?"

"And?"

"Ne-Never call them old. No matter how old they really are?"

"Exactly," she then turned her attention to her mother and sister, who were still laughing. Ryoko fixed them both with her most withering stare. "It wasn't that funny."

"Oh yes it was. Wasn't it Ryo-chan?"

The toddler nodded in agreement.

"I was just teasing Ryoko, lighten up," Washu said with a smirk. Her daughter always was better at dishing it out than getting it back.

Ryoko let out a growl of annoyance before returning her attention to her dinner. "Whatever," she muttered softly right before stuffing her face with rice.

"But all kidding aside, Naruto," Washu said, with one final snicker. Turning her sights back to the blond, immediately the mood shifted from a teasing playfulness to a somber seriousness. The red-headed scientist caught and held the blond's gaze for several moments, causing him to once again gulp audibly. Her expression was stone-cold serious, and it made him wonder what she could possible have to say. "Ryo-chan has been telling me all about you, so I really did want to meet you."

The red-head spared a pointed look to her daughter before continuing. She had debated to herself whether she should bring up any of Ryoko's past during the trip to the village. She knew how sensitive Ryoko was on the subject, and Naruto was so young. Perhaps he was too young to have something like this put on his shoulders. But, she needed to know the cut of of his caliber. Ryo-chan seemed to think the boy has an amazing empathy, even more so than Tenchi, but Washu had yet to see it for herself.

"As you may have figured out, Ryoko has had a hard life."

Naruto nodded, his mouth pulled down into a deep frown. "Because of Kagato, right?" Ryoko hadn't been as forthcoming as to give a great deal of information, but he wasn't stupid. The look on her face when ever she mentioned his name was enough to clue him on the type of relationship they had, and filled him with a loathing that he hadn't realized he was capable of.

"Amongst other things."

"What other things?" Naruto asked, slightly shocked. Wasn't dealing with someone like Kagato enough?

Washu gave a small smile to the young boy. _He cares about her, that much is obvious,_ she thought. She spared a look to Ryoko who was doing her best to appear nonchalant, but the averted eyes and clenched jaw were giving her away.

Washu knew she was treading on dangerous grounds, there was no way for her to know how Ryoko would react to what she was about to do. But, the red-head was determined to keep going. She needed to know whether her daughter was going to be in good, albeit young hands, or if Ryoko was going to have her heart broken again.

"Did you know she was engaged to be married?" Washu asked. It was a rhetorical question, the scientist knew Ryoko hadn't said a word about Tenchi to anyone. As a matter of fact, the cyan-haired female barely allowed herself to think about him.

"Do we have to talk about this?" Ryoko interjected, her voice laden with anger. Her amber eyes were trying to bore a hole right through her mother's forehead.

"No, but I am anyway," Washu said. "She was to be married to a young prince."

"Does that mean Ryoko is a princess?" a small smile playing at the corners of the blond's mouth.

"No, Naruto, because the marriage never happened," Washu paused and studied the boy for several long seconds; a pang of sadness struck her heart. Blue eyes, blond hair, there was an uncanny resemblance between the young boy and the son she lost all those millennium ago.

"You and Ryoko have a lot in common," the scientist said with a shake of her head. There was time enough to think about that when she was alone. "And it's not because you're both demons. But because you and she have both been ostracized, hated, and ridiculed by people who see nothing more than killing machines. It didn't matter to them that Ryoko was nothing more than a puppet dancing at the end of Kagato's strings, anymore than it mattered to the villagers that the nine-tails was solely responsible for the death and destruction in the leaf village. They refuse to understand that under all that bluster is a lonely soul just waiting for that one person to acknowledge them, and open the world up for them. Prince Tenchi was that person for Ryoko."

"What happened? Where is he? Why isn't he here?" Naruto's voice was thick with emotion. Washu may have been an annoying midget, but she hit everything on the nose. That was exactly how he felt, and knowing Ryoko was going through the same thing, made his heart swell in compassion.

Washu smiled to herself. She could see the emotions play across his face; this was exactly what she was going for.

Ryoko on the other hand, was staring out the window, her whole body was tense with pent up helplessness and rage. She knew no amount protesting would stop her mother from revealing deeply personal information, but it didn't mean she had to watch, or participate.

"Because certain people hated Ryoko they threatened civil war if she and Tenchi married. They even tried to assassinate her friends to get to her. So Ryoko made the sacrifice to keep her family safe, and the empire from imploding into chaos, by becoming an exile. God only knows how many lives she saved by rejecting her own happiness." Washu looked over to her daughter who was now slumped in her chair as if she were trying to disappear into herself. Waves of anguish were washing over her link causing Washu's heart to constrict painfully in empathy.

"Stop it, damn it!" Ryoko cried out to no avail. She was ashamed of her tears, and didn't want Naruto to think she was a weakling, and a reject. "Please, please just stop it. He's just a kid, he doesn't need to know this."

The red-headed scientist bit back her own emotions and turned to Naruto who was staring at Ryoko with eyes wet with unshed tears. The boy didn't need a mental link with her daughter to feel and understand her emotions, his natural empathy allowed him to feel her pain.

This was necessary Washu kept telling herself, and maybe one day Ryoko would forgive her.

"So you see Naruto, my daughter is very powerful, and she's just about the strongest person I know, but she has a very delicate heart. And I know you're just a child, but I need you to promise me that you will take good care my Ryoko."

"I do not have a delicate heart," Ryoko said in anger. She stared daggers at her mother, not understanding why she was saying all this.

Attention was diverted to Naruto, who had leaped from his seat causing the chair to scrap loudly on the wooden floor. "You've got nothing to worry about! You have my word as future Hokage that I'll take good care of Ryoko."

"Good," Washu said with a small smile. That was exactly what she wanted to hear.

Ryoko, proud as ever, turned her head away. Emotions from both ends of the spectrum played across her face, but she didn't want anyone to see.

_Damn, I just proved her right_, she thought in anger. But she couldn't help herself, Naruto's words, which she knew were spoken from the heart, had struck a cord that hadn't been struck in a long time.

"Are you okay, Ryoko?" the blond asked. He had moved so that he was now standing in front of her. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," she replied with a thick voice. "You said everything right. I'm crying... I'm crying because I'm very happy."

"Then don't be ashamed to cry," Naruto said. He was smiling brightly at her and wiping way his own tears. "It's okay to have a delicate heart, so long as you have a strong body to go along with it. A delicate heart means that there are people who are precious to you. And having a strong body means that you can always defend them, no matter what."

Before he knew it, Ryoko grabbed Naruto into a bone-crushing hug. She rested her head on the boy's shoulder and before she knew it, over 5,000 years of loneliness and anguish poured out of her in large salty tears. Her body shook with the release of emotions, and the blond held on to her with all his burgeoning strength.

Washu watched on with a benevolent smile. "Don't worry Ryo-chan, they haven't forgotten about you. Ryoko just needs this moment, or she'll never heal."

The toddler crawled on to the red-headed scientist's lap and looked on at the cathartic moment. Contrary to her outer appearance, she understood what was going on and why it needed to happen. She was, after all, the one who had to listen to her sister's anguished cries in the middle of the night, and put up with her sudden mood changes. Ryo-chan hoped that after today Ryoko would be able to look upon the past and see something good, and not have it be an albatross around her neck.

Finally after a good 10 minutes, Ryoko pulled away from the blond. Her eyes were puffy and red as were his, but they each wore a wide grin on their face.

"Well, well, well, it looks like Naruto isn't as big a knucklehead as I had first thought," Washu said to Ryo-chan in a teasing tone. "Though I still think he's a brat."

"Hey! At least I'm not a midget, like you."

"Midget?! I am the greatest scientific genius in the universe! You best keep that in mind when addressing me."

"Oh yeah? Well I'm going to be the greatest Hokage in the universe! Believe it, midget!"

"Knucklehead!"

"Midget!"

"Knucklehead!"

"Midget!"

Ryoko shook her head in exasperation, she knew what her mother had just done in breaking the mood. Still, there went a perfectly beautiful moment. "Come on Ryo-chan, let's clean up."

Her little sister easily slipped off of Washu's lap and followed the ex-space pirate into the kitchenette where they retrieved empty containers for the leftovers.

"Ryo-chan," Ryoko started, and then stopped slightly embarrassed.

"Mya?"

"Thank-you. You didn't have to come with me, but you did. You sacrificed just as much I did, even though you didn't have to, and all you got in return was me being a bitch to you."

Ryo-chan hugged her elder sister's legs as tight as she could, all the while sending waves of love and joy via their link.

"I love you too, little sister," Ryoko responded. "Now let's get in there before they tear the place down."

**~000000000000000~**

That night, while Naruto, Washu, and Ryo-chan lay nestled in their bed, Ryoko dug through her backpack for something she thought she'd never want to look at again. It was an 8 by 10 picture of her family. These were the first people who were able to look beyond her exterior to the delicate heart within. And up until now, they were the only people she would have ever sacrificed anything for.

Touching each face in turn, memories came unbidden to her mind of each person. But for the first time they were not unwelcomed. Without these people she would not be the woman she was today. She would not have been able to open her heart so completely to Naruto. So while her memories were tinged with the sadness of loss, they were by no means bad memories to be shunned or locked away like a dirty secret.

She placed the picture on the table and made her way to bed. Tomorrow, she would introduce Naruto to the people in the picture, and tell him stories about how they became a family.


End file.
